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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pop — soda
  7. degree — an amount
  8. court — of law
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rule — a law
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. court — of a king
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pop — to visit
  17. toast — bread
  18. degree — from a university
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pop — music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. rule — government
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. court — for sport

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