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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
468
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 · ball · can · tear · rest · leaves · rash · court

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. court — of law
  3. can — a tin
  4. tear — from crying
  5. court — of a king
  6. root — the cause
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rash — a series
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. ball — a dance
  12. root — of a word
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ball — a great time
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rest — a break
  24. court — for sport

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