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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. court — of a king
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bear — the animal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. court — of law
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. firm — a company
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. firm — decided
  18. fork — in a road
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. court — for sport
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. firm — steady
  24. deal — an agreement

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