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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. court — of law
  4. season — in sport
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. root — the cause
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. root — of a word
  9. court — for sport
  10. wax — to grow
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. root — of a plant
  14. court — of a king
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. swing — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. season — of the year

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