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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. squash — to crush
  5. degree — from a university
  6. fine — high quality
  7. court — for sport
  8. cell — a phone
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cell — in biology
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. degree — an amount
  15. squash — the sport
  16. degree — temperature
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fine — all right
  24. fork — in a road

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