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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mine — for digging
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rush — hurry
  15. court — of law
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. spring — of water
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. court — for sport
  24. spring — the season

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