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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: racket · mate · spell · dip · court · root · chair · wake

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. dip — to sink
  3. root — of a plant
  4. court — of a king
  5. mate — to breed
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. spell — a short time
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. court — of law
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. spell — letters
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. spell — magic
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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