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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pass — a permit
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. present — there
  6. drill — army training
  7. land — to come down
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. present — a gift
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. deal — to handle
  12. land — a country
  13. firm — a company
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. present — the time now
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. land — ground
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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