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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. tube — a container
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. court — of law
  10. bark — to shout
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mug — a cup
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mug — a face
  20. toast — bread
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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