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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. court — of a king
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. court — for sport
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. root — the cause
  9. staff — employees
  10. court — of law
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. staff — a stick
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. staff — employees
  20. root — of a word
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spell — letters
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. temple — a place of worship

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