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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. hand — help
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. hand — in cards
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mark — a trace
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bulb — for light
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mark — a grade
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bulb — for light
  18. toast — bread
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. root — of a word
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com