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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. court — of a king
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. season — of the year
  7. bear — the animal
  8. shower — rain
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bear — the animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pound — a weight
  17. charge — in control
  18. season — in sport
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bank — for money
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. court — of law
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pound — for dogs

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