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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. sharp — clever
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wake — a trail
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. court — of law
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. court — for sport
  13. hand — help
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. court — of a king
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — of the year

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