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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fine — high quality
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. date — the fruit
  6. court — of a king
  7. club — a group
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. chip — for betting
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chip — to eat
  14. club — for golf
  15. court — of law
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fine — all right
  18. ground — crushed
  19. club — for dancing
  20. ground — the earth
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. ground — a position

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