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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. firm — a company
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. firm — steady
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. land — to come down
  13. suit — clothes
  14. land — a country
  15. suit — to fit
  16. land — ground
  17. court — of law
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. firm — decided
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. suit — in cards
  24. straw — a straw man

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