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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. ground — crushed
  4. season — in sport
  5. court — of law
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. court — of a king
  10. wax — to grow
  11. ground — the earth
  12. court — for sport
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. season — of the year
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. present — a gift
  21. ground — a position
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wax — in the ear

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