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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · calf · ball · root · bass · temple · rest · track

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ball — a dance
  4. game — wild animals
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. root — of a plant
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. rest — a break
  9. root — the cause
  10. rest — what's left
  11. track — a path
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bass — low music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. game — a match
  17. ball — a great time
  18. root — of a word
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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