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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. court — of law
  3. club — a group
  4. court — of a king
  5. ball — a great time
  6. can — a tin
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. court — for sport
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. kid — child
  13. can — a tin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. club — for golf
  16. rash — hasty
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kid — to tease
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rash — a series

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