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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. root — of a word
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. court — of law
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rock — a stone
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rock — music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. drill — army training
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. court — of a king
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. root — of a plant
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. root — the cause
  21. court — for sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. leaves — to go away

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