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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. firm — a company
  3. march — the month
  4. firm — steady
  5. ground — the earth
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. firm — decided
  8. court — of law
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. ground — crushed
  11. march — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rest — a break
  15. court — for sport
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rest — what's left
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. march — the month
  22. ground — a position
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wave — with your hand

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