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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bass — low music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. staff — a stick
  7. court — for sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rock — music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. court — of law
  15. file — a tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bass — the fish
  19. file — a line of people
  20. staff — employees
  21. file — a document
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. staff — employees
  24. fork — a garden tool

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