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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pop — soda
  4. bear — the animal
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wound — an injury
  10. firm — a company
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. ball — a great time
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wound — an injury
  17. firm — steady
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. court — of law
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. firm — decided
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — the animal

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