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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: last · club · root · mug · field · rock · bowl · court

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. court — for sport
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. court — of law
  7. last — final
  8. club — a group
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. field — farmland
  11. club — for golf
  12. root — the cause
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mug — to rob
  17. field — for sport
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rock — music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. court — of a king
  22. field — a subject
  23. club — for dancing
  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