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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. court — of a king
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rule — a law
  6. rock — music
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. rock — a stone
  10. root — of a plant
  11. net — for catching
  12. perch — the fish
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. branch — a division
  18. kick — in football
  19. root — of a word
  20. rule — government
  21. court — of law
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — the cause
  24. court — for sport

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