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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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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. can — to be able to
  3. court — of a king
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. court — of law
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mate — to breed
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pop — to visit
  16. can — a tin
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. can — a tin
  19. pop — music
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pop — soda
  22. mate — a partner
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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