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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — help
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. root — of a plant
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. root — of a word
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. court — of law
  19. pop — soda
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. kid — to tease
  22. root — the cause
  23. kid — child
  24. pound — a weight

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