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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. can — a tin
  3. club — for dancing
  4. hand — help
  5. can — to be able to
  6. court — for sport
  7. club — a group
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. ground — crushed
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. club — for golf
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. court — of a king
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. can — a tin
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. court — of law

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