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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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mate — a partner
  3. firm — decided
  4. root — the cause
  5. tube — a container
  6. root — of a plant
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. court — for sport
  10. firm — steady
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. court — of a king
  14. press — to push
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mate — to breed
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. firm — a company
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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