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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. branch — a division
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. tear — from crying
  6. vault — a safe
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. squash — to crush
  9. root — of a word
  10. squash — the sport
  11. tear — from crying
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. tear — to rip
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. court — of law
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. court — for 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