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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: court · fall · mouse · hide · can · racket · cue · dip

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. court — for sport
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cue — for pool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. can — to be able to
  14. court — of law
  15. can — a tin
  16. court — of a king
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. can — a tin
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cue — a signal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fall — the season

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