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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fall — the season
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. court — of a king
  7. spell — magic
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. court — for sport
  11. net — in sport
  12. suit — in cards
  13. net — for catching
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spell — a short time
  18. court — of law
  19. board — to get on
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. board — a committee
  23. net — after costs
  24. spell — letters

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