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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. root — of a plant
  3. firm — steady
  4. rush — hurry
  5. key — for a lock
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. firm — a company
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kick — in football
  22. court — of a king
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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