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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 120 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 watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. dip — to sink
  3. charge — in control
  4. cold — not warm
  5. court — of a king
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cold — an illness
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fine — all right
  16. court — of law
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. court — for sport
  24. racket — for tennis

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