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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lean — thin
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pop — music
  7. cue — a hint
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bound — tied together
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bound — certain
  15. season — of the year
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. season — in sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cue — for pool
  22. court — of law
  23. pop — soda
  24. wave — with your hand

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