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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: root · roll · swing · hand · foot · bark · court · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. root — of a plant
  4. roll — a list
  5. hand — in cards
  6. roll — a cake
  7. hand — help
  8. suit — clothes
  9. swing — to play on
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bark — to shout
  12. swing — music
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. court — of a king
  15. root — the cause
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. court — of law
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. suit — to fit
  20. court — for sport
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. foot — a measure
  23. swing — in golf
  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