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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chair — a leader
  6. swing — music
  7. track — to keep track
  8. swing — to play on
  9. court — for sport
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ground — the earth
  16. court — of a king
  17. stand — to bear
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fine — all right
  20. court — of law
  21. track — a song
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. track — a path

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