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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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. cap — a lid
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. kid — to tease
  7. cap — a hat
  8. can — a tin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. court — for sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lie — to recline
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. kid — child
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cap — of ice
  19. court — of law
  20. squash — the sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. squash — to crush

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