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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. land — to come down
  6. ground — a position
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bank — for money
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bank — for money
  15. court — of a king
  16. land — ground
  17. ground — crushed
  18. court — for sport
  19. land — a country
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cell — in biology
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ground — the earth

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