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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. capital — a city
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. capital — money
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. land — to come down
  9. spring — a coil
  10. court — of law
  11. land — ground
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. deal — to handle
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. spring — of water
  18. court — for sport
  19. spring — the season
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lie — to recline
  22. land — a country
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. leaves — to go away

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