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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · root · pit · court · band · date · spell · mouse

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. mug — a face
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. court — of law
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. band — a music group
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pit — a hole
  14. root — the cause
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. root — of a plant
  17. court — of a king
  18. spell — letters
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. band — a ring
  22. spell — magic
  23. date — the fruit
  24. root — of a word

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