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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. date — the fruit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. court — of law
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rest — a break
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hand — in cards
  24. coach — a trainer

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