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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. court — of law
  4. club — for golf
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mate — to breed
  7. court — for sport
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mate — a partner
  10. court — of a king
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. land — a country
  13. mate — a friend
  14. land — to come down
  15. club — a group
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stand — to bear
  19. land — ground
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. racket — for tennis

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