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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bear — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. court — of a king
  7. cell — a phone
  8. court — of law
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. court — for sport
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cell — in a prison

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