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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cell — in biology
  4. content — the amount
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bass — the fish
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. march — the month
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. court — of a king
  13. content — happy
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. march — music
  16. court — for sport
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rule — a law
  22. bass — low music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. march — the month

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