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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · staff · chair · court · date · jam · track · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. date — the fruit
  3. court — of law
  4. staff — a stick
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. court — of a king
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cap — a lid
  13. track — a path
  14. court — for sport
  15. staff — employees
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. track — a song
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. staff — employees
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. cap — of ice
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chair — a leader

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