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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 120 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 will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. court — of law
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — of a king
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. root — the cause
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. suit — in cards
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. root — of a word
  15. can — a tin
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. root — of a plant
  18. suit — clothes
  19. can — to be able to
  20. court — for sport
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chair — a leader

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