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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · fall · root · march · rule · court · rush · wave

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. root — of a plant
  4. court — of law
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. root — of a word
  10. march — music
  11. root — the cause
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. court — of a king
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. march — the month
  18. rule — government
  19. march — the month
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. court — for sport
  22. fall — the season
  23. rule — a law
  24. rush — a thrill

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