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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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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: fall · kick · perch · chair · fork · court · pass · root

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. pass — a permit
  3. root — of a plant
  4. court — of a king
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. root — of a word
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fall — to drop
  15. root — the cause
  16. court — of law
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fall — the season
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. kick — in football
  24. court — for sport

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