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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mate — to breed
  4. firm — a company
  5. cell — a phone
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. firm — steady
  11. cell — in biology
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. firm — decided
  15. mate — a partner
  16. court — of a king
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. court — for sport

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