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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: ball · root · toast · cue · temple · rash

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rash — a series
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ball — a great time
  8. root — the cause
  9. toast — bread
  10. root — of a word
  11. ball — a dance
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cue — for pool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cue — a signal
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cue — a hint
  18. toast — the most admired

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