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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: deal · march · pass · ground · cue · root · court · kick

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cue — a hint
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. pass — a permit
  7. deal — to handle
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. ground — crushed
  11. kick — in football
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. march — the month
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. ground — a position
  17. march — the month
  18. court — of law
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. court — of a king
  22. root — of a word
  23. march — music
  24. court — for 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