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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. court — of a king
  3. firm — steady
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bank — of a river
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bank — for money
  12. saw — the tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bank — for money
  15. court — of law
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. court — for sport
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. firm — decided
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. firm — a company

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