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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · fan · root · court · bat · mouse · dip · calf

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. court — of law
  7. root — the cause
  8. court — for sport
  9. root — of a plant
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. court — of a king
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wake — a trail
  21. root — of a word
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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