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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 116 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
468
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: mug · racket · game · plane · key · content · leaves · court

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. content — happy
  2. key — for a lock
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. court — of law
  6. key — the most important part
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. court — of a king
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. key — in music
  16. plane — a tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. content — the amount
  19. mug — to rob
  20. game — wild animals
  21. court — for sport
  22. game — a match
  23. content — videos and posts
  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