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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. root — of a word
  6. court — of a king
  7. root — the cause
  8. prune — to trim
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. root — of a plant
  14. court — for sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. patient — a sick person

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