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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. ground — the earth
  6. board — to get on
  7. march — the month
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. root — of a word
  11. tube — a container
  12. root — the cause
  13. mate — to breed
  14. root — of a plant
  15. march — music
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mate — a friend
  20. tube — the underground
  21. object — to protest
  22. court — of law
  23. mate — a partner
  24. board — a committee

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