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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 116 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: chair · court · root · lean · dip · prune · face · field

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. field — for sport
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. chair — a leader
  7. field — a subject
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. root — of a plant
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lean — thin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. dip — to sink
  14. field — farmland
  15. root — the cause
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. court — of law
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — to bend
  20. root — of a word
  21. court — of a king
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. court — for sport
  24. face — to confront

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