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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. court — of a king
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pitch — completely
  6. file — a tool
  7. root — the cause
  8. court — of law
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fall — to drop
  11. firm — steady
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. charge — a price
  14. firm — a company
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. firm — decided
  17. fall — the season
  18. charge — in control
  19. court — for sport
  20. file — a document
  21. fall — to drop
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. root — of a word

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