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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. court — of a king
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. root — of a word
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. court — of law
  9. mug — a face
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bear — the animal
  16. root — the cause
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. root — of a plant
  19. season — of the year
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cue — a signal
  22. court — for sport
  23. season — in sport
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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