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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.

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: ball · jam · stick · root · foot · rash · season · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. root — of a word
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wound — an injury
  6. season — in sport
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. season — of the year
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. root — of a plant
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. root — the cause
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — a series
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. foot — a measure
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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