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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rash — a series
  3. court — for sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. degree — temperature
  8. suit — clothes
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tube — a container
  12. hand — help
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. suit — in cards
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rash — hasty
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tube — the underground

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