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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — a tin
  3. court — for sport
  4. roll — a list
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. court — of a king
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. court — of law
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wake — a trail
  19. capital — money
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fine — all right
  22. capital — a city
  23. roll — a cake
  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