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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. court — of law
  2. squash — to crush
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. court — for sport
  14. kick — in football
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pop — music
  18. court — of a king
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. coach — a trainer
  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