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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bank — for money
  8. charge — electricity
  9. game — a match
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bass — the fish
  12. charge — a price
  13. bank — of a river
  14. game — wild animals
  15. charge — in control
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. bank — for money
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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