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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.

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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: object · fan · court · field · mug · firm · racket · squash

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. firm — steady
  3. mug — a face
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. field — a subject
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — an aim
  10. court — of a king
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mug — to rob
  14. object — a thing
  15. firm — a company
  16. court — of law
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. object — to protest
  22. court — for sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. firm — decided

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