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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 120 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bass — the fish
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. court — of law
  10. firm — steady
  11. bass — low music
  12. squash — the sport
  13. present — there
  14. wound — an injury
  15. firm — decided
  16. board — a committee
  17. court — for sport
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. deal — to handle
  23. firm — a company
  24. squash — to crush

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