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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: bowl · hand · root · rock · wake · mark · ball · season

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. hand — help
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. root — the cause
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rock — music
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. season — of the year
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ball — a round shape

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