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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. spell — magic
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. court — of a king
  7. spell — letters
  8. root — of a plant
  9. court — of law
  10. kick — in football
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. suit — clothes
  18. court — for sport
  19. spell — a short time
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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