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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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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: fan · clip · tube · leaves · court · root · object · pop

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. root — of a word
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. object — to protest
  5. tube — a container
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. root — the cause
  10. pop — music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. court — for sport
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pop — soda
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. object — a thing
  17. clip — for paper
  18. court — of law
  19. pop — to visit
  20. clip — a video
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. court — of a king
  23. object — an aim
  24. fan — a supporter

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