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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cap — a lid
  3. can — a tin
  4. court — of a king
  5. cap — of ice
  6. can — to be able to
  7. court — of law
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. court — for sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. deal — to handle
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cap — a hat
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fork — in a road

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