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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. chest — a box
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. court — of a king
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ground — a position
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ground — the earth
  12. craft — boats
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — of law
  24. craft — a skill

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