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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: game · object · last · scale · pitcher · chest · root · pop

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. root — the cause
  3. last — final
  4. chest — of your body
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. root — of a plant
  7. scale — in music
  8. pop — music
  9. chest — a box
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pop — to visit
  13. object — a thing
  14. last — finally
  15. game — a match
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pop — soda
  19. last — to go on
  20. chest — of your body
  21. root — of a word
  22. game — wild animals
  23. scale — size or range
  24. object — to protest

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