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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. season — of the year
  3. deal — to handle
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. squash — to crush
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. present — the time now
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wake — a trail
  17. squash — the sport
  18. present — there
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. present — a gift
  22. season — in sport
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. hide — animal skin

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