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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. staff — employees
  3. root — the cause
  4. march — music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. court — of law
  8. sharp — clever
  9. root — of a word
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pit — a hole
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. march — the month
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. court — for sport
  22. pound — a weight
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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