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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. spring — of water
  2. court — of a king
  3. can — a tin
  4. bound — obliged
  5. spring — the season
  6. firm — a company
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. season — of the year
  13. bound — tied together
  14. suit — in cards
  15. court — for sport
  16. spring — a coil
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bound — certain
  19. season — in sport
  20. court — of law
  21. dip — to sink
  22. firm — steady
  23. dip — to dunk
  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