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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. mug — a cup
  3. court — of a king
  4. kid — to tease
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. court — for sport
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. content — the amount
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mark — a grade
  18. content — happy
  19. mug — a face
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. court — of law
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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