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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. game — a match
  8. bear — the animal
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. court — for sport
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ball — a dance
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bear — to put up with

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