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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · scale · staff · court · root · rock · chair · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. court — of a king
  4. staff — employees
  5. chair — a leader
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rest — what's left
  9. staff — employees
  10. root — the cause
  11. rock — music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. root — of a plant
  14. court — of law
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rock — a stone
  20. court — for sport
  21. staff — a stick
  22. root — of a word
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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