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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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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: root · stand · rock · present · calf · court · scale · clip

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. clip — a video
  4. rock — music
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. scale — in music
  9. court — for sport
  10. rock — a stone
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. court — of a king
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. present — a gift
  16. clip — to cut
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. clip — for paper
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. court — of law
  24. stand — to bear

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