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

Word bank: foot · ball · dip · root · race · bowl · perch · chair

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — of a word
  6. dip — to sink
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. root — the cause
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. race — the arms race
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ball — a great time
  19. race — a contest
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. race — humankind
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. chair — to sit on

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