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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: root · court · fork · rest · leaves · ball · degree · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. court — of law
  4. drill — the tool
  5. court — for sport
  6. degree — from a university
  7. ball — a dance
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rest — what's left
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ball — a great time
  19. drill — a practice
  20. court — of a king
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. degree — temperature
  23. root — of a word
  24. rest — a break

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