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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spring — of water
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. charge — electricity
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. charge — in control
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. spring — the season
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. charge — a price
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. tear — from crying
  19. court — of law
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tear — from crying
  23. season — in sport
  24. bear — the animal

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