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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. root — the cause
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bank — for money
  11. last — finally
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. date — the fruit
  18. root — of a word
  19. bass — low music
  20. last — final
  21. court — for sport
  22. last — to go on
  23. root — of a plant
  24. date — on the calendar

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