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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
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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: pass · squash · bowl · foot · root · court · tube · leaves

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. court — for sport
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. root — of a word
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. court — of a king
  11. pass — a permit
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. squash — to crush
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. root — of a plant
  19. court — of law
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. root — the cause
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. squash — the sport

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