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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. field — for sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bass — the fish
  17. court — of a king
  18. field — farmland
  19. court — of law
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. court — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bass — low music

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