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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. ground — a position
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ground — crushed
  6. court — for sport
  7. wake — a trail
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ground — the earth
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. deal — to handle
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. court — of law
  16. swing — music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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