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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. fine — all right
  7. spring — the season
  8. suit — to fit
  9. spring — of water
  10. fine — high quality
  11. sharp — clever
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. court — of law
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. suit — clothes
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. row — to paddle
  21. suit — in cards
  22. firm — steady
  23. row — a line
  24. pop — to visit

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