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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. suit — to fit
  5. net — after costs
  6. pop — music
  7. suit — in cards
  8. net — for catching
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. kick — in football
  12. pop — soda
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. net — in sport
  19. wake — a trail
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. root — of a word
  24. suit — clothes

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