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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. hand — help
  6. object — a thing
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. march — the month
  11. hand — in cards
  12. march — the month
  13. mark — a trace
  14. object — an aim
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. march — music
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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