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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. court — for sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. court — of law
  15. lie — to recline
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fork — to eat with

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