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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bound — certain
  4. court — of a king
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. court — for sport
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rush — hurry
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bound — obliged
  14. court — of law
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ground — a position
  24. coach — a trainer

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