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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: arm · root · court · cabinet · bear · racket · leaves · staff

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. staff — employees
  3. bear — the animal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — for sport
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. root — of a word
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. root — the cause
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. staff — employees
  18. root — of a plant
  19. staff — a stick
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. arm — part of the body

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