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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 124 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. roll — a list
  3. prune — to trim
  4. root — the cause
  5. court — of law
  6. tear — to rip
  7. court — of a king
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. tear — from crying
  12. court — for sport
  13. net — in sport
  14. roll — a cake
  15. root — of a plant
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. net — after costs
  18. root — of a word
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. prune — to trim
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. tear — from crying
  24. racket — a loud noise

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