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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. swing — in golf
  4. court — of law
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mate — a partner
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pound — a weight
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. court — of a king
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mate — to breed
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. court — for sport
  17. fine — all right
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mate — a friend
  21. prune — to trim
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. racket — for tennis

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