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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. net — for catching
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. charge — a price
  6. root — of a word
  7. net — after costs
  8. root — of a plant
  9. court — for sport
  10. tube — the underground
  11. court — of a king
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. root — the cause
  15. tube — a container
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. charge — in control
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — electricity
  24. net — in sport

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