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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. court — for sport
  4. root — of a plant
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. root — of a word
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. court — of law
  23. root — the cause
  24. safe — out of danger

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