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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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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 · game · lean · root · ruler · track · wind · calf

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. track — a path
  5. game — a match
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. track — to keep track
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. root — the cause
  11. ball — a great time
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lean — thin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. game — wild animals
  20. root — of a word
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. track — a song
  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