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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: present · roll · mate · arm · game · toast · nail · root

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. game — a match
  3. present — a gift
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. roll — a cake
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. root — of a word
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mate — a partner
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mate — to breed
  14. present — there
  15. toast — bread
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. root — of a plant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. present — the time now
  20. roll — a list
  21. game — wild animals
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. root — the cause
  24. mate — a friend

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