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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. scale — in music
  3. rash — hasty
  4. court — of law
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. drill — the tool
  8. track — to keep track
  9. court — for sport
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rash — a series
  13. track — a song
  14. drill — a practice
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. track — a path
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. staff — employees
  19. scale — size or range
  20. staff — employees
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. drill — army training

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