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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: racket · court · current · foot · calf · chair · bark · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. court — of a king
  5. root — of a word
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — for sport
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. current — happening now
  16. bark — to shout
  17. court — of law
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. current — of water
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. root — of a plant
  24. current — electric

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