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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 116 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: root · saw · court · fall · mouse · sharp · rule · craft

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. court — for sport
  5. fall — to drop
  6. court — of a king
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. craft — a skill
  10. root — of a plant
  11. court — of law
  12. rule — government
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. saw — the tool
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. root — the cause
  19. craft — boats
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. root — of a word
  23. fall — the season
  24. rule — a law

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