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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: current · court · pit · spell · cell · calf · bear · root

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. spell — a short time
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. court — for sport
  12. current — of water
  13. spell — letters
  14. current — happening now
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. spell — magic
  17. root — of a word
  18. pit — in a race
  19. current — electric
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. court — of a king
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cell — in a prison

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