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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.

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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: court · cue · face · root · object · stand · arm · calf

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. court — of a king
  5. root — of a word
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. root — of a plant
  9. face — to confront
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. root — the cause
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stand — to bear
  17. face — to point toward
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. court — for sport
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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