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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. firm — a company
  3. root — the cause
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. root — of a word
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rock — a stone
  10. firm — steady
  11. clip — a video
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. dip — to sink
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. firm — decided
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rock — music
  23. calf — of the leg
  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