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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 120 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. track — to keep track
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. court — of a king
  6. root — of a plant
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. root — of a word
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. track — a path
  18. court — for sport
  19. lean — thin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. root — the cause
  22. lean — to bend
  23. track — a song
  24. bowl — a dish

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