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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. court — for sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. court — of a king
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. root — of a word
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chest — of your body
  10. branch — a division
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. tube — a container
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rush — hurry
  19. court — of law
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. staff — employees
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. chest — a box
  24. staff — a stick

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