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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. firm — decided
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. root — of a word
  4. firm — a company
  5. root — the cause
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. court — of law
  9. firm — steady
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lean — thin
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. court — for sport
  20. suit — clothes
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. lean — to bend
  23. court — of a king
  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