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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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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. root — of a plant
  6. court — of a king
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. firm — steady
  9. kid — child
  10. root — the cause
  11. firm — a company
  12. mine — for digging
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. root — of a word
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. court — of law
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bark — to shout
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. firm — decided
  24. bark — of a tree

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