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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. can — a tin
  6. court — of law
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. degree — from a university
  10. can — a tin
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wake — a trail
  13. degree — temperature
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mug — a face
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mug — to rob

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