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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. root — the cause
  3. kid — child
  4. court — of law
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. court — of a king
  7. mate — a partner
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mate — to breed
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. mate — a friend
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rush — hurry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. court — for sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. temple — a place of worship

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