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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. court — of law
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tube — a container
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pop — soda
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. march — music
  12. court — for sport
  13. pop — to visit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rash — hasty
  16. tube — the underground
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. march — the month
  19. pop — music
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rash — a series
  22. date — the fruit
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. march — the month

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