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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. root — of a word
  3. firm — steady
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — of ice
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. kick — in football
  12. firm — decided
  13. cap — a hat
  14. root — of a plant
  15. court — for sport
  16. root — the cause
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wake — a trail
  19. firm — a company
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. coach — a trainer

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