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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: cap · rash · arm · court · rock · root · roll · snap

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. rash — hasty
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. court — of law
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. roll — a cake
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cap — a lid
  12. root — the cause
  13. court — of a king
  14. roll — a list
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cap — of ice
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. snap — to click
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rash — a series
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cap — a hat

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