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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. land — a country
  3. fork — in a road
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. firm — a company
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. rest — a break
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. firm — decided
  14. court — of a king
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — ground
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. band — a music group
  19. land — to come down
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. court — of law
  22. band — a ring
  23. firm — steady
  24. rest — what's left

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