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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bear — the animal
  4. court — for sport
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. shower — to wash
  11. court — of a king
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. shower — rain
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. court — of law
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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