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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. root — of a word
  4. court — of a king
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spring — the season
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. spring — a coil
  15. board — to get on
  16. spring — of water
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. board — a committee
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. root — the cause
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. board — a flat piece

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