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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. spell — letters
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rule — a law
  7. court — for sport
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. swing — to play on
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rule — government
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. court — of a king
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. root — of a plant
  20. spell — magic
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bank — for money
  24. swing — music

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