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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bass — the fish
  4. staff — employees
  5. court — of law
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bass — low music
  11. rule — a law
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. root — of a word
  14. mate — a partner
  15. root — the cause
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mate — to breed
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. staff — a stick
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rule — government

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