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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: perch · game · jam · stand · object · rest · court · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. court — of law
  3. rest — a break
  4. court — for sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stand — to bear
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. court — of a king
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. perch — the fish
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. rest — what's left
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. game — a match
  23. object — an aim
  24. stand — for spectators

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