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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. content — happy
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. firm — a company
  10. can — a tin
  11. firm — steady
  12. can — a tin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. content — the amount
  17. court — of law
  18. firm — decided
  19. face — to point toward
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. court — for sport

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