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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. land — a country
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. band — a ring
  9. wake — a trail
  10. chest — a box
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bore — to tire
  13. court — for sport
  14. band — a music group
  15. suit — in cards
  16. court — of law
  17. land — to come down
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. land — ground
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wake — before a funeral

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