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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: rush · fall · racket · court · lie · swing · bat · safe

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rush — hurry
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fall — to drop
  7. swing — to play on
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. court — for sport
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bat — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. swing — music
  22. fall — the season
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. safe — out of danger

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