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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. court — of law
  8. craft — a skill
  9. can — to be able to
  10. ground — the earth
  11. craft — boats
  12. ground — crushed
  13. tube — a container
  14. ground — a position
  15. tube — the underground
  16. swing — to play on
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bound — obliged
  20. can — a tin
  21. bound — certain
  22. court — for sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. bound — tied together

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