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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mate — a friend
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. ball — a great time
  17. court — for sport
  18. mate — a partner
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bear — the animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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