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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: mate · press · tear · bowl · key · calf · root · court

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mate — a friend
  4. court — of law
  5. mate — a partner
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. court — for sport
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mate — to breed
  13. key — the most important part
  14. press — to push
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. court — of a king
  17. key — for a lock
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. press — a publisher
  21. root — the cause
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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