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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 120 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. ball — a dance
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bass — low music
  5. mate — to breed
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mark — a trace
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mate — a partner
  11. court — of law
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. march — the month
  16. ball — a great time
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. court — for sport
  20. march — music
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mark — a grade
  23. march — the month
  24. chip — in a computer

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