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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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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: staff · temple · court · rest · prune · root · kick · swing

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rest — what's left
  3. staff — a stick
  4. root — the cause
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. prune — to trim
  8. court — of a king
  9. root — of a plant
  10. swing — music
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. prune — to trim
  13. swing — to play on
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. staff — employees
  16. court — of law
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — of a word
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rest — a break
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. court — for sport
  24. staff — employees

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