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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. court — of law
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. swing — to play on
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. swing — music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. court — of a king
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. court — for sport
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. swing — in golf

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