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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. deal — to handle
  4. root — the cause
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. court — of law
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. board — a committee
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wax — to grow
  15. root — of a word
  16. court — of a king
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. board — to get on
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. court — for sport
  24. root — of a plant

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