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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. court — of law
  4. club — a group
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. club — for dancing
  8. root — of a word
  9. track — a path
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. court — of a king
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. root — the cause
  16. cell — in biology
  17. chip — to eat
  18. court — for sport
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. root — of a plant

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