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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. court — for sport
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bank — for money
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bank — for money
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fork — in a road
  15. court — of law
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bore — to drill
  20. scale — in music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fine — all right
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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