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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. court — of law
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. game — wild animals
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. court — for sport
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. game — a match
  22. court — of a king
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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