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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. firm — decided
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lie — to recline
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. firm — a company
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. court — of a king
  12. firm — steady
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — to rob
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. mug — a cup
  20. court — of law
  21. prune — to trim
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mug — a face
  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