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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. march — the month
  4. root — of a plant
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. firm — decided
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. court — of law
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mine — for digging
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. firm — a company
  18. root — of a word
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. court — for sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. sharp — clever
  23. kick — in football
  24. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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