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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. court — of law
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. game — a match
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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