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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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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: spell · rock · mug · game · ruler · squash · season · root

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. root — the cause
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. root — of a word
  10. game — a match
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. root — of a plant
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. season — of the year
  21. mug — a face
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mug — a cup
  24. season — in sport

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