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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. root — of a word
  8. pit — in a race
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. current — electric
  11. game — a match
  12. current — happening now
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. root — the cause
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. game — wild animals
  19. current — of water
  20. court — of a king
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. court — of law
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wake — a trail

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