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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. root — the cause
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. present — there
  6. deal — to handle
  7. root — of a plant
  8. court — of a king
  9. capital — a city
  10. rash — a series
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. capital — money
  13. present — a gift
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. present — the time now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. root — of a word
  24. court — for sport

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