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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. season — in sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. can — a tin
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. court — for sport
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. can — to be able to
  13. season — of the year
  14. court — of law
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cell — in biology
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. can — a tin
  24. coach — a trainer

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