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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. court — of law
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. court — of a king
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. bound — certain
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fine — all right
  14. bound — obliged
  15. court — for sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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