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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. bowl — to roll
  3. court — of law
  4. cap — of ice
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fork — in a road
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. court — for sport
  14. hand — help
  15. lean — thin
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. temple — side of the head
  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