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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 124 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. swing — to play on
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. game — a match
  8. swing — in golf
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. court — for sport
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fork — in a road
  16. swing — music
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. ball — a dance
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fork — to eat with

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