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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hand — in cards
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. court — for sport
  8. hand — help
  9. race — humankind
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. scale — in music
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. race — a contest
  14. suit — clothes
  15. court — of law
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. court — of a king
  18. face — part of the head
  19. scale — size or range
  20. race — the arms race
  21. face — to confront
  22. toast — bread
  23. face — to point toward
  24. racket — a loud noise

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