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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · racket · key · squash · court · wave · hand · jam

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. court — for sport
  4. squash — the sport
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. court — of law
  18. key — for a lock
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. hand — help
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. present — there
  24. racket — a loud noise

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