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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. present — a gift
  4. bear — the animal
  5. suit — clothes
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bear — the animal
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. sharp — clever
  16. present — the time now
  17. court — for sport
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. court — of law
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. suit — in cards
  24. present — there

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