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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: rash · racket · mug · court · foot · jam · ball · deal

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. court — of law
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ball — a great time
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. court — of a king
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. deal — to handle
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. mug — a face
  23. ball — a dance
  24. court — for sport

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