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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. court — of a king
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. chest — a box
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. season — of the year
  9. chest — of your body
  10. season — in sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. court — of law
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fork — in a road
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. court — for sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chest — of your body
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. leaves — to go away

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