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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fall — the season
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fall — to drop
  11. branch — a division
  12. court — for sport
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. ball — a great time
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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