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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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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: court · lean · rest · spring · roll · root · ruler · board

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. roll — a cake
  3. lean — to bend
  4. roll — a list
  5. court — of a king
  6. lean — thin
  7. spring — the season
  8. root — the cause
  9. rest — what's left
  10. board — a committee
  11. spring — a coil
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spring — of water
  15. root — of a plant
  16. board — to get on
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rest — what's left
  21. court — for sport
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rest — a break
  24. court — of 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