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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. kid — to tease
  5. court — of a king
  6. root — the cause
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. prune — to trim
  10. kick — in football
  11. court — for sport
  12. mug — a face
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mug — a cup
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. mug — to rob
  19. drill — army training
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. root — of a word
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. court — of law
  24. root — of a plant

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