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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. court — of a king
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cap — a lid
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cap — of ice
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — a line
  15. chip — for betting
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rash — hasty
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rash — a series
  24. cap — a hat

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