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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 116 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. court — of law
  3. scale — size or range
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wound — an injury
  8. scale — in music
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. wound — an injury
  12. court — for sport
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. court — of a king
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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