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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: rock · racket · court · branch · cap · temple · root · spell

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rock — music
  3. root — the cause
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. spell — letters
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cap — a hat
  14. branch — a division
  15. spell — a short time
  16. court — of law
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. root — of a word
  20. rock — a stone
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spell — magic
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. court — of a king

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