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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 116 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mate — a partner
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cue — a signal
  9. field — farmland
  10. court — for sport
  11. mug — a face
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cue — for pool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. spell — letters
  17. field — for sport
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cue — a hint
  20. spell — magic
  21. court — of law
  22. field — a subject
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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