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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: court · squash · bowl · mark · cue · mouse · deal · rock

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. squash — the sport
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cue — a signal
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mark — a grade
  10. squash — to crush
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rock — music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. court — of a king
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cue — a hint
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bowl — a dish

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