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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. land — to come down
  5. root — the cause
  6. court — of law
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. prune — to trim
  10. land — a country
  11. prune — to trim
  12. court — for sport
  13. bore — to tire
  14. root — of a word
  15. court — of a king
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bore — to drill
  18. land — ground

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