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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: game · mouse · club · snap · kick · court · root · stick

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. court — of law
  3. game — a match
  4. snap — to click
  5. club — a group
  6. game — wild animals
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. root — the cause
  13. court — of a king
  14. club — for golf
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. court — for sport

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