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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. root — the cause
  3. court — for sport
  4. game — a match
  5. hand — help
  6. object — a thing
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. object — to protest
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. court — of law
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. root — of a plant
  13. staff — employees
  14. game — wild animals
  15. object — an aim
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. staff — employees
  18. root — of a word
  19. court — of a king
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. staff — a stick

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