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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cue — a hint
  4. drill — a practice
  5. object — a thing
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. court — of law
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. court — of a king
  12. drill — army training
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. object — an aim
  15. perch — the fish
  16. drill — the tool
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cue — a signal
  24. object — to protest

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