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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stand — to bear
  5. craft — a skill
  6. kid — child
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. hand — in cards
  19. court — for sport
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hand — help

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