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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: root · fall · band · suit · bat · pitcher · ball · calf

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fall — the season
  5. root — of a word
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. root — the cause
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ball — a dance
  18. root — of a plant
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bat — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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