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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. court — of a king
  3. cue — for pool
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bank — of a river
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wind — moving air
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cue — a signal
  13. court — for sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. ball — a dance
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. court — of law
  18. bank — for money
  19. shower — rain
  20. wind — moving air
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cue — a hint

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