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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: ball · root · swing · rash · wound · game · stand · temple

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rash — a series
  4. root — the cause
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. game — wild animals
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stand — to bear
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. root — of a word
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. ball — a dance
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. root — of a plant

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