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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. court — for sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. suit — to fit
  7. court — of law
  8. cue — for pool
  9. suit — in cards
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. drill — army training
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. wake — a trail
  19. date — the fruit
  20. court — of a king
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. date — on the calendar

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