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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ball — a great time
  4. court — of law
  5. land — ground
  6. court — of a king
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. court — for sport
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bound — certain
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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