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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rock — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bear — the animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fine — all right
  13. bear — the animal
  14. court — of a king
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fine — high quality
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. court — of law
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — for tennis

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