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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. deal — to handle
  3. court — of a king
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. court — for sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. court — of law
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. spell — a short time
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. branch — a division
  18. bear — the animal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — magic
  24. bear — the animal

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