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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: root · season · suit · wake · ground · club · field · court

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. court — of a king
  3. root — the cause
  4. suit — clothes
  5. court — of law
  6. field — for sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. season — of the year
  10. club — for golf
  11. field — farmland
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. root — of a plant
  16. ground — a position
  17. court — for sport
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wake — a trail
  20. season — in sport
  21. root — of a word
  22. suit — to fit
  23. field — a subject
  24. ground — crushed

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