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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. bank — of a river
  4. spring — of water
  5. mate — a friend
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bank — for money
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. spring — a coil
  21. court — for sport
  22. spring — the season
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — for a bird

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