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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. root — of a plant
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. club — for golf
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. court — for sport
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. club — a group
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. court — of law
  16. bore — to drill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. board — to get on
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. club — for dancing
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. saw — the tool

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