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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 120 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. club — for golf
  3. root — of a word
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. root — of a plant
  7. court — of a king
  8. root — the cause
  9. suit — in cards
  10. face — part of the head
  11. suit — to fit
  12. court — of law
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. pitch — completely
  16. court — for sport
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. suit — clothes
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. face — to confront
  24. chair — a professorship

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