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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. court — of law
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to click
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. court — for sport
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bulb — for light
  23. court — of a king
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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