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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lie — to recline
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. season — of the year
  16. chip — to eat
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. prune — to trim

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