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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — of law
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cap — a lid
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pop — to visit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — for sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — the tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cap — a hat
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pop — music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pop — soda

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