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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 · wound · staff · safe · root · suit · club · wake

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wake — a trail
  3. root — of a word
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. suit — in cards
  7. staff — employees
  8. club — for golf
  9. suit — to fit
  10. staff — a stick
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. root — the cause
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. court — for sport
  16. staff — employees
  17. court — of law
  18. wound — an injury
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. suit — clothes
  22. club — for dancing
  23. root — of a plant
  24. club — a group

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