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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. court — of law
  4. swing — to play on
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. court — for sport
  7. march — the month
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. swing — music
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. swing — in golf
  17. season — in sport
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. season — of the year
  20. court — of a king
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. racket — a loud noise

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