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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
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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: rest · season · drill · ball · pop · deal · root · cue

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pop — soda
  3. ball — a great time
  4. drill — the tool
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cue — a hint
  7. drill — army training
  8. cue — for pool
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pop — music
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cue — a signal
  16. root — the cause
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. season — in sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. drill — a practice
  24. root — of a word

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