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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. suit — clothes
  3. spell — magic
  4. root — the cause
  5. suit — in cards
  6. court — of law
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wound — an injury
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spell — letters
  17. wound — an injury
  18. spell — a short time
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. court — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. court — of a king

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