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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. can — a tin
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. court — of law
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. court — for sport
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bound — certain
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ground — a position
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bound — obliged
  19. can — a tin
  20. court — of a king
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wound — an injury

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