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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a ring
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. can — a tin
  11. lie — to recline
  12. can — a tin
  13. fall — the season
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. can — to be able to
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fall — to drop
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. court — of law
  23. prune — to trim
  24. court — for sport

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