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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. court — of a king
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. court — for sport
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. can — a tin
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. capital — money
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. can — a tin
  12. capital — a city
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. charge — a price
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. court — of law
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. charge — in control
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. race — a contest
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lash — an eyelash

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