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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. court — of a king
  3. pop — to visit
  4. court — for sport
  5. pit — a hole
  6. court — of law
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cold — not warm
  11. pop — music
  12. rule — government
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pitch — completely
  18. key — for a lock
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pop — soda
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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