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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. tube — the underground
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. court — for sport
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. root — the cause
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. court — of law
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. tube — a container
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rash — a series
  20. root — of a word
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wake — before a funeral

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