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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 120 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. club — for golf
  6. present — a gift
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pound — a weight
  10. present — the time now
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. club — a group
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. present — there
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. club — for dancing

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