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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: leaves · wound · court · perch · root · rule · plane · ruler

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rule — a law
  6. court — of a king
  7. root — of a word
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. perch — the fish
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. root — of a plant
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. root — the cause
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. plane — a tool

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