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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. can — a tin
  3. court — of a king
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. root — the cause
  8. court — for sport
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fine — high quality
  11. row — a line
  12. march — music
  13. can — a tin
  14. fine — all right
  15. can — to be able to
  16. march — the month
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. row — to paddle
  23. march — the month
  24. court — of law

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