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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 120 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: root · straw · bound · mate · chair · bear · ball · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mate — a friend
  6. root — of a plant
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. root — of a word
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bear — the animal
  21. root — the cause
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ball — a great time

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