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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. scale — in music
  3. rule — a law
  4. snap — to click
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. roll — a list
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. scale — size or range
  11. hand — in cards
  12. court — of law
  13. rule — government
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. roll — a cake
  21. court — for sport
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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