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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. row — a line
  3. snap — to click
  4. court — of law
  5. firm — steady
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. staff — employees
  8. row — to paddle
  9. root — of a plant
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. court — for sport
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. staff — employees
  14. firm — a company
  15. rash — a series
  16. court — of a king
  17. staff — a stick
  18. root — the cause
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. root — of a word
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rash — hasty
  24. firm — decided

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