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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. toast — bread
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wind — moving air
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. shower — rain
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. court — of law
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. court — for sport
  14. craft — a skill
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. craft — boats
  18. root — of a word
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. root — the cause
  22. wind — moving air
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. root — of a plant

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