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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. court — of a king
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. spring — of water
  5. charge — electricity
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cell — in biology
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. charge — in control
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. charge — a price
  14. spring — a coil
  15. capital — money
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cell — a phone
  22. capital — a city
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cell — in a prison

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