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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: root · leaves · rest · court · staff · ground · charge · field

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. court — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. court — of law
  5. charge — in control
  6. rest — what's left
  7. field — farmland
  8. rest — a break
  9. ground — a position
  10. root — the cause
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. root — of a word
  16. staff — employees
  17. root — of a plant
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rest — what's left
  20. field — for sport
  21. staff — a stick
  22. ground — the earth
  23. staff — employees
  24. court — of a king

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