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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pop — music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mine — for digging
  8. lean — thin
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pop — soda
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. court — of law
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. court — for sport
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lean — to bend

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