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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: lean · bay · ball · root · field · cell · roll · foot

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. roll — a list
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. field — farmland
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cell — a phone
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. field — a subject
  15. foot — a measure
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. root — of a plant
  21. field — for sport
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. lean — thin

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