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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. firm — steady
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. court — of a king
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. net — for catching
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. net — after costs
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. root — of a word
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. firm — decided
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — a company

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