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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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468
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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. race — the arms race
  3. kid — child
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fine — all right
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. kid — to tease
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. fine — high quality
  14. race — a contest
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. race — humankind
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rule — a law
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. court — for sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rule — government

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