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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.

Make a worksheet

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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. court — of law
  8. fine — high quality
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. court — of a king
  12. fine — all right
  13. toast — bread
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. court — for sport
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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