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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. court — of a king
  5. clip — a video
  6. present — there
  7. ground — crushed
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ground — the earth
  10. clip — for paper
  11. present — a gift
  12. court — of law
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. court — for sport
  17. ground — a position
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. present — the time now
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. clip — to cut
  24. deal — an agreement

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