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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. root — the cause
  3. march — the month
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. court — of law
  7. band — a music group
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. squash — to crush
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. root — of a word
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. march — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. perch — the fish
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — for sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. root — of a plant
  21. march — the month
  22. bank — of a river
  23. court — of a king
  24. band — a ring

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