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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. land — ground
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. court — of law
  5. toast — bread
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. court — of a king
  9. last — finally
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. last — final
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. land — a country
  17. last — to go on
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rock — music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tear — to rip
  22. land — to come down
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. tear — from crying

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