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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. court — for sport
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. board — to get on
  5. court — of a king
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. board — a committee
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. root — the cause
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. root — of a plant
  16. court — of law
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mine — for digging
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mine — belonging to me

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