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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. object — to protest
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. track — a song
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. track — to keep track
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chest — of your body
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. tube — a container
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. chest — a box
  15. object — an aim
  16. spring — a coil
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chest — of your body
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. object — a thing
  23. track — a path
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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