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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — the animal
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. snap — to click
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. court — for sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. court — of a king
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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