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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rock — a stone
  9. shower — to wash
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spring — the season
  12. season — of the year
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. shower — rain
  15. pound — a weight
  16. season — in sport
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rock — music
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. court — for sport
  23. spring — of water
  24. chair — a leader

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