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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. court — of a king
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ball — a great time
  6. perch — the fish
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ball — a dance
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cold — an illness
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. suit — clothes
  20. court — of law
  21. bank — for money
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. suit — to fit
  24. court — for sport

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