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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: cap · game · perch · root · file · mouse · tube · ball

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cap — a lid
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. game — a match
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. root — the cause
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — the underground
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. root — of a plant
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. cap — a hat
  23. root — of a word
  24. ball — a dance

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