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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 124 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bound — obliged
  3. court — of law
  4. drill — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tube — the underground
  7. band — a music group
  8. drill — a practice
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bound — certain
  14. tube — a container
  15. band — a ring
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. court — for sport
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. drill — army training
  20. can — to be able to
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. can — a tin

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