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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. court — of a king
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rule — a law
  5. root — the cause
  6. march — the month
  7. tear — from crying
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mine — for digging
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. tear — from crying
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. root — of a plant
  19. march — music
  20. root — of a word
  21. march — the month
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rule — government
  24. plane — in geometry

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