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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: bowl · root · mate · spell · band · game · prune · mark

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. root — the cause
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. game — a match
  6. mate — a partner
  7. band — a music group
  8. root — of a word
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spell — letters
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mate — to breed
  13. spell — magic
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. spell — a short time
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. band — a ring
  21. mark — a grade
  22. game — wild animals
  23. prune — to trim
  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