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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. root — of a plant
  3. ball — a great time
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. press — to push
  7. spell — magic
  8. court — of law
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. spell — letters
  11. ball — a dance
  12. root — the cause
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. press — newspapers
  15. branch — a division
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. press — a publisher
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. root — of a word
  24. branch — of a tree

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