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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. court — of law
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fall — the season
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. fall — to drop
  9. deal — to handle
  10. court — of a king
  11. scale — size or range
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. craft — a skill
  20. chair — a leader
  21. scale — in music
  22. bear — the animal
  23. court — for sport
  24. fall — to drop

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