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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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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: tube · firm · bay · cell · game · root · court · stand

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. root — of a word
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. court — of law
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. tube — a container
  12. firm — decided
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. court — for sport
  17. root — of a plant
  18. game — a match
  19. root — the cause
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. stand — to bear
  22. court — of a king
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cell — a phone

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