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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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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 · scale · deal · stick · face · wind · bat · root

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. root — the cause
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. root — of a plant
  7. deal — to handle
  8. scale — in music
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. face — to point toward
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wind — moving air
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ball — a dance
  23. face — to confront
  24. root — of a word

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