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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mine — for digging
  4. roll — a list
  5. rest — a break
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. court — of law
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. perch — the fish
  19. court — for sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cabinet — ministers

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