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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. court — of a king
  4. spring — the season
  5. can — a tin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bat — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. court — for sport
  13. spring — of water
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. can — to be able to
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. court — of law
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. spring — a coil
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bat — for baseball

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