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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: ruler · safe · court · deal · bay · season · wake · root

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. season — of the year
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wake — a trail
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. deal — to handle
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. root — of a word
  9. season — in sport
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. root — of a plant
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. root — the cause
  15. court — of law
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. court — for sport
  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