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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. spring — the season
  3. ball — a great time
  4. root — the cause
  5. spring — of water
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wound — an injury
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. root — of a word
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. drill — a practice
  22. court — of a king
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. suit — clothes

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