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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. court — of a king
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. court — of law
  6. band — a ring
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pit — a hole
  13. branch — a division
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. court — for sport

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