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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. bear — the animal
  5. land — ground
  6. bear — the animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. can — to be able to
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. firm — a company
  14. can — a tin
  15. land — to come down
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. land — a country
  20. wax — to grow
  21. firm — decided
  22. kick — in football
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. firm — steady

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