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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 116 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: suit · firm · wind · plane · mark · trunk · root · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. court — for sport
  4. firm — a company
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. firm — decided
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. root — of a word
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mark — a trace
  14. firm — steady
  15. wind — moving air
  16. suit — to fit
  17. court — of a king
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. plane — a tool
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. suit — clothes

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