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

Word bank: lash · root · dip · last · fork · mate · bowl · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mate — a friend
  3. last — finally
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. root — the cause
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. root — of a word
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. court — for sport
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. court — of law
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. last — to go on
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. last — final

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