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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. squash — the sport
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. firm — steady
  5. saw — the tool
  6. perch — the fish
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. toast — bread
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cue — a hint
  12. firm — a company
  13. court — of a king
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. court — of law
  16. saw — the tool
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cue — for pool
  20. firm — decided
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cue — a signal
  24. squash — to crush

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