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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. firm — steady
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. perch — the fish
  5. scale — in music
  6. court — of a king
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — for digging
  10. scale — size or range
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. march — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. court — for sport
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. firm — decided
  22. cue — a hint
  23. firm — a company
  24. march — the month

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