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

Word bank: present · court · mark · wave · kid · toast · racket · rest

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. court — of a king
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mark — a trace
  7. toast — bread
  8. mark — a grade
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. court — for sport
  11. present — a gift
  12. rest — a break
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. kid — child
  15. present — the time now
  16. court — of law
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kid — to tease
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. present — there

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