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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ground — the earth
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. mark — a trace
  8. court — for sport
  9. tube — a container
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wound — an injury
  12. staff — employees
  13. cap — of ice
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ground — a position
  18. mark — a grade
  19. staff — employees
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. cap — a lid
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wound — an injury
  24. tube — the underground

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