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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. mug — a face
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. ground — a position
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mug — to rob
  11. ground — crushed
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mug — a cup
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. club — a group
  19. ground — the earth
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. court — for sport
  22. deal — to handle
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. court — of law

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