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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rash — a series
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. court — of a king
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mug — to rob
  7. kick — in football
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. court — of law
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mug — a face
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. court — for sport
  21. bat — the animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wind — moving air

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