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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spring — of water
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. tube — a container
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. court — of law
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lean — thin
  17. spring — the season
  18. tube — the underground
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. lean — to bend
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pass — a permit
  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