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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. ground — the earth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. track — to keep track
  5. court — for sport
  6. ground — crushed
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ground — a position
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. track — a path
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. band — a ring
  16. fine — all right
  17. track — a song
  18. band — a music group
  19. sharp — clever
  20. suit — clothes
  21. fine — high quality
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. court — of law

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