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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cold — an illness
  11. band — a ring
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rest — what's left
  16. court — of a king
  17. rest — a break
  18. court — of law
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rest — what's left
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. court — for sport

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