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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bass — the fish
  17. court — for sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fall — the season
  21. rock — music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bass — low music

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