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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. band — a ring
  5. court — of law
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bound — obliged
  8. suit — clothes
  9. present — a gift
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. object — an aim
  12. bound — tied together
  13. present — the time now
  14. suit — in cards
  15. present — there
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. object — a thing
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. band — a music group
  21. object — to protest
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bound — certain
  24. court — for sport

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