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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. spring — the season
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. court — of law
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. game — wild animals
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. spell — a short time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spell — letters
  13. game — a match
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spell — magic
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bore — to drill
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spring — of water
  23. bore — to tire
  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