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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. last — final
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. can — a tin
  10. court — for sport
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. deal — to handle
  15. court — of a king
  16. last — finally
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. last — to go on
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. can — a tin
  24. nail — for a hammer

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