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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. tube — a container
  3. court — of a king
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. tube — the underground
  6. season — in sport
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. craft — a skill
  16. court — for sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mark — a trace
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. court — of law
  21. mark — a grade
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. season — of the year

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