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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. court — of law
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bass — low music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. hand — help
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. key — the most important part
  9. season — in sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. current — happening now
  12. key — in music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. key — for a lock
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. court — for sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. bear — the animal
  20. current — of water
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. current — electric
  23. hand — in cards
  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