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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. court — for sport
  13. cap — a lid
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bound — obliged
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bowl — a dish

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