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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: ball · net · mouse · band · root · fine · chest · roll

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. root — the cause
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. ball — a great time
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fine — high quality
  10. roll — a list
  11. root — of a word
  12. roll — a cake
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. band — a music group
  15. fine — all right
  16. chest — of your body
  17. band — a ring
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. chest — of your body
  23. net — in sport
  24. chest — a box

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