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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.

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: bay · spring · row · leaves · root · squash · mouse · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. squash — to crush
  4. row — a line
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. spring — of water
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. root — of a plant
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. row — to paddle
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. root — the cause
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spring — the season
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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