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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. court — for sport
  3. shower — rain
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. root — the cause
  7. roll — a list
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. root — of a word
  13. roll — a cake
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. root — of a plant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chip — to eat
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. chip — for betting
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wave — with your hand

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