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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. march — the month
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. march — music
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chest — of your body
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chest — a box
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. march — the month
  18. court — for sport
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. court — of a king
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bear — the animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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