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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. ball — a great time
  5. last — finally
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pop — to visit
  8. court — of law
  9. pop — music
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. court — of a king
  12. bank — for money
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. last — final
  15. pop — soda
  16. bank — for money
  17. hand — help
  18. roll — a cake
  19. hand — in cards
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. last — to go on
  22. roll — a list
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. ball — a dance

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