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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. can — a tin
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cell — in biology
  8. can — a tin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chair — a leader
  12. court — of a king
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. fall — the season
  15. can — to be able to
  16. court — of law
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cell — a phone
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. court — for sport
  24. race — a contest

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