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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mine — for digging
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fine — high quality
  11. court — of a king
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fine — all right
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. court — for sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. court — of law
  24. racket — for tennis

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