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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.

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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: bay · mug · court · race · root · foot · tube · branch

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. branch — a division
  3. race — a contest
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. root — of a word
  7. court — of a king
  8. mug — a face
  9. root — of a plant
  10. court — of law
  11. tube — a container
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. root — the cause
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mug — a cup
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. court — for sport
  23. mug — to rob
  24. foot — a measure

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