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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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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: rest · ball · mark · key · root · wave · bowl · file

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. root — of a word
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. root — of a plant
  10. key — for a lock
  11. root — the cause
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. file — a line of people
  17. key — in music
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. mark — a grade
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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