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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. court — of law
  3. root — of a word
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. court — of a king
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. court — for sport
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. root — the cause
  19. hand — help
  20. bass — low music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bass — the fish

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