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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mate — to breed
  6. court — of law
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mate — a partner
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. squash — to crush
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. key — for a lock
  15. root — of a word
  16. key — in music
  17. pit — a hole
  18. court — for sport
  19. mate — a friend
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. deal — to handle
  22. root — the cause
  23. pit — in a race
  24. squash — the 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