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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — of a king
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. spring — the season
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cue — a signal
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spring — of water
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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