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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. branch — a division
  5. ground — the earth
  6. root — the cause
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bank — of a river
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — crushed
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. court — of law
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. court — for sport

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