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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. court — for sport
  11. hand — help
  12. cold — not warm
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cold — an illness
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — a trace

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