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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. net — for catching
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. court — for sport
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. bear — the animal
  11. court — of law
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bear — the animal
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. track — a song
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. squash — the sport
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. deal — to handle
  24. wave — with your hand

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