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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. bat — the animal
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. last — to go on
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. court — of a king
  19. chip — for betting
  20. last — finally
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chip — to eat
  24. last — final

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