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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. scale — in music
  3. root — of a plant
  4. court — of law
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. firm — steady
  7. clip — for paper
  8. firm — decided
  9. clip — a video
  10. root — the cause
  11. craft — a skill
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. court — of a king
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. firm — a company
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. court — for sport
  21. dip — to sink
  22. craft — boats
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. scale — size or range

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