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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. firm — steady
  4. object — to protest
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. firm — a company
  7. season — of the year
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. firm — decided
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pound — a weight
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. chest — a box
  17. object — a thing
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. object — an aim
  20. court — for sport
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — in sport

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