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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. season — of the year
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — in biology
  7. band — a music group
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cue — for pool
  13. court — of law
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. season — in sport
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. band — a ring
  18. bark — to shout
  19. court — for sport
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cue — a signal

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