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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rest — a break
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. court — of law
  9. craft — boats
  10. bank — of a river
  11. race — the arms race
  12. craft — a skill
  13. game — a match
  14. rest — what's left
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. race — a contest
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. court — for sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. race — humankind
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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