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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: race · bay · court · root · date · stick · cap · bear

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. court — of a king
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. root — of a word
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. court — for sport
  13. root — the cause
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cap — a hat
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. race — the arms race
  20. root — of a plant
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. race — humankind
  23. court — of law
  24. race — a contest

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