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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. court — of a king
  6. content — happy
  7. sharp — clever
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ball — a great time
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. tube — a container
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pound — a weight

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