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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: court · rock · squash · pitcher · bulb · ball · mug · bat

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. court — of a king
  3. bat — the animal
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mug — a face
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mug — a cup

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