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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. track — a path
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. court — for sport
  5. game — wild animals
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. court — of a king
  12. track — to keep track
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. track — a song
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — to eat
  21. perch — the fish
  22. game — a match
  23. rock — a stone
  24. game — a kind of play

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