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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. court — for sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mark — a trace
  6. court — of a king
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fine — all right
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stand — to bear
  22. degree — an amount
  23. court — of law
  24. trunk — of a tree

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