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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. track — a song
  4. spell — a short time
  5. track — to keep track
  6. season — of the year
  7. foot — a measure
  8. track — a path
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. court — for sport
  11. press — a publisher
  12. tube — the underground
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. court — of law
  18. tube — a container
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. season — in sport
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. tube — in a tire

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