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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 120 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: drill · wind · root · court · fine · clip · cap · ball

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. clip — for paper
  4. drill — a practice
  5. root — of a word
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. court — of law
  8. drill — army training
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fine — all right
  11. root — the cause
  12. clip — to cut
  13. ball — a great time
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cap — of ice
  17. court — for sport
  18. root — of a plant
  19. court — of a king
  20. cap — a lid
  21. fine — high quality
  22. clip — a video
  23. ball — a dance
  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