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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. court — of a king
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rock — a stone
  5. content — happy
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — the amount
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. court — for sport
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rock — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. court — of law
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. content — videos and posts

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