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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. tear — to rip
  8. court — for sport
  9. track — a path
  10. root — of a plant
  11. tear — from crying
  12. track — to keep track
  13. court — of law
  14. track — a song
  15. fall — the season
  16. root — of a word
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. root — the cause
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fall — to drop
  23. branch — a division
  24. fall — to drop

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