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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 124 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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. court — of law
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. court — of a king
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cue — a hint

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