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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: court · mate · can · row · root · sharp · staff · game

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. root — the cause
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. staff — employees
  5. game — wild animals
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. root — of a plant
  9. court — for sport
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. court — of a king
  14. sharp — clever
  15. court — of law
  16. mate — to breed
  17. can — to be able to
  18. row — a line
  19. can — a tin
  20. root — of a word
  21. game — a match
  22. staff — a stick
  23. can — a tin
  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