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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. degree — temperature
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. court — of law
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bear — the animal

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