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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. court — for sport
  3. cap — of ice
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. court — of law
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ball — a great time
  11. court — of a king
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — all right
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cap — a lid
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wave — of the sea

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