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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. net — in sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. season — in sport
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rock — music
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. ball — a dance
  13. season — of the year
  14. ball — a great time
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. net — for catching
  17. rest — a break
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. net — after costs
  21. bore — to drill
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. ball — a round shape

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