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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. stem — to come from
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bound — obliged
  12. court — for sport
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. court — of law
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bound — certain
  19. root — of a plant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. root — of a word
  24. safe — a strongbox

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