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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. court — for sport
  11. object — an aim
  12. vault — a safe
  13. spring — the season
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. object — a thing
  19. court — of law
  20. object — to protest
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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