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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. court — of law
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. court — for sport
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. court — of a king
  9. bear — the animal
  10. last — finally
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. race — humankind
  13. last — final
  14. race — a contest
  15. craft — boats
  16. mine — for digging
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bear — the animal
  19. race — the arms race
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. last — to go on
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stand — to bear

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