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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 116 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: mug · deal · root · club · court · bowl · lean · file

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. root — of a word
  4. file — a line of people
  5. court — of law
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. court — for sport
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. court — of a king
  10. root — the cause
  11. lean — thin
  12. root — of a plant
  13. club — for golf
  14. mug — to rob
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. file — a tool
  18. club — a group
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lean — to bend
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. file — a document

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