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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. court — of law
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. court — for sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. court — of a king
  12. chip — for betting
  13. face — to point toward
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. track — a song
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. track — a path
  24. chip — to eat

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