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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 120 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.

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: ball · court · fine · perch · wave · mouse · spell · stick

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. spell — magic
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spell — a short time
  7. court — for sport
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fine — high quality
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. spell — letters
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fine — all right
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wave — of the sea

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