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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. root — of a word
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. root — of a plant
  6. hand — help
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. fork — in a road
  10. court — of a king
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. land — ground
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. root — the cause

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