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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wake — a trail
  3. root — of a word
  4. court — of law
  5. root — the cause
  6. deal — to handle
  7. root — of a plant
  8. court — of a king
  9. race — the arms race
  10. chair — a leader
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. race — humankind
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. court — for sport
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. race — a contest
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. kick — in football
  24. bowl — a football final

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