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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 120 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. root — of a plant
  3. capital — money
  4. court — of a king
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. firm — decided
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. court — of law
  10. firm — a company
  11. capital — a city
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. court — for sport
  16. game — a match
  17. face — to point toward
  18. root — the cause
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. firm — steady
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. game — wild animals
  24. root — of a word

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