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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 ball is in your ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. court — of law
  6. pop — music
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pop — soda
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pop — to visit
  12. march — the month
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. content — the amount
  16. march — the month
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. march — music
  19. present — a gift
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. rush — hurry

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