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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. spell — magic
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spring — of water
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. root — the cause
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. court — of law
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. root — of a word
  19. mug — to rob
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. spring — the season
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. root — of a plant

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