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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pass — a permit
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. court — of a king
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — the cause
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. tube — a container
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wound — an injury
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. court — for sport
  18. root — of a word
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. content — the amount
  21. court — of law
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. content — happy

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