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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. court — of a king
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bear — the animal
  5. court — for sport
  6. bass — low music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rule — government
  10. hand — help
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. court — of law
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mug — a cup
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rule — a law

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