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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. root — of a plant
  3. object — an aim
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. root — the cause
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. court — of law
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. court — for sport
  14. root — of a word
  15. object — a thing
  16. mine — for digging
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chip — for betting
  20. object — to protest
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mine — an explosive

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