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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pound — a weight
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rash — a series
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. court — for sport
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. court — of law

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