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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. spell — magic
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. court — for sport
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spell — a short time
  10. march — the month
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. season — of the year
  15. march — music
  16. foot — a measure
  17. season — in sport
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — letters
  21. court — of law
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. march — the month
  24. court — of a king

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