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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. can — a tin
  3. spring — of water
  4. court — of law
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. present — the time now
  9. court — for sport
  10. present — there
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. can — to be able to
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rash — a series
  16. can — a tin
  17. present — a gift
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. spring — the season
  21. wind — moving air
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rash — on the skin

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