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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. court — of a king
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. court — of law
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. vault — a safe
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. root — the cause
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. court — for sport
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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