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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · roll · lie · mouse · root · present · pitcher · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. present — a gift
  14. root — of a word
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. roll — a cake
  22. root — the cause
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. roll — a list

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