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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: court · craft · coach · kick · cue · deal · root · degree

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cue — for pool
  6. degree — temperature
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. craft — a skill
  9. root — the cause
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kick — in football
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. court — of law
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. court — for sport
  19. degree — from a university
  20. cue — a signal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. degree — an amount
  23. court — of a king
  24. cue — a hint

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