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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 is in your ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. root — of a plant
  7. tube — a container
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. court — of a king
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. row — to paddle
  16. root — of a word
  17. kick — in football
  18. row — a line
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. court — of law
  21. root — the cause
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. kick — with a leg

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