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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. court — of law
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cell — a phone
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. cell — in biology
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pit — in a race
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pit — a hole
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bound — certain
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bound — obliged

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