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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. land — to come down
  6. snap — to click
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. land — a country
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lie — to recline
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. land — ground
  24. date — on the calendar

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