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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. court — of a king
  6. file — a line of people
  7. kid — child
  8. can — a tin
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. swing — in golf
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mark — a grade
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. can — a tin
  16. swing — music
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. can — to be able to
  19. swing — to play on
  20. firm — a company
  21. court — for sport
  22. mark — a trace
  23. court — of law
  24. firm — decided

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