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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. march — the month
  3. court — for sport
  4. march — the month
  5. land — ground
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. march — music
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. court — of a king
  12. land — to come down
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — a country
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. court — of law
  20. kick — in football
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mouse — for a computer

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