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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.

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: fine · root · nail · court · pop · cell · deal · pitcher

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cell — a phone
  5. court — of law
  6. fine — high quality
  7. root — of a word
  8. fine — all right
  9. court — of a king
  10. pop — soda
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pop — music
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. deal — to handle
  17. root — of a plant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. root — the cause
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pop — to visit
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. court — for sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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