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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. bowl — to roll
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. snap — to click
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. court — of law
  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