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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stand — to bear
  3. track — to keep track
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. land — a country
  10. game — a match
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. land — to come down
  13. court — of law
  14. land — ground
  15. court — for sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. key — for a lock
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. hide — to keep secret

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