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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · lie · present · mouse · bass · court · cap · cabinet

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. court — of a king
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. present — there
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bass — low music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. court — for sport
  16. present — a gift
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. present — the time now
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. court — of law

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