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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 116 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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. court — for sport
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. spell — a short time
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. mate — to breed
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. root — of a word
  14. court — of law
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mate — a friend
  17. dip — to sink
  18. present — a gift
  19. mate — a partner
  20. band — a ring
  21. present — the time now
  22. band — a music group
  23. present — there
  24. court — of a king

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