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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: hide · ball · root · mark · mate · cabinet · racket · sharp

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mate — a partner
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mate — a friend
  6. root — the cause
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. root — of a word
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mark — a grade
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mate — to breed
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mark — a trace

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