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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: last · present · mate · pitcher · racket · court · can · lie

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. court — for sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. present — a gift
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. last — finally
  7. mate — to breed
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. last — to go on
  10. court — of law
  11. mate — a friend
  12. last — final
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. can — to be able to
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. present — there
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. present — the time now
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. court — of a king
  23. mate — a partner
  24. lie — an untruth

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