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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cold — an illness
  3. court — of a king
  4. can — a tin
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wake — a trail
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. court — of law
  20. ball — a great time
  21. can — a tin
  22. court — for sport
  23. cold — not warm
  24. ball — a dance

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