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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. court — of a king
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rule — a law
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. root — of a word
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. root — the cause
  16. toast — bread
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rule — government
  19. track — a song
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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