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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 hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. court — for sport
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. net — for catching
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — for betting
  8. net — after costs
  9. field — farmland
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. field — a subject
  12. chip — to eat
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. court — of a king
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rock — a stone
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. field — for sport
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rock — music
  21. root — the cause
  22. rest — a break
  23. court — of law
  24. rock — to move gently

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