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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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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. court — of law
  4. fine — all right
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. tube — a container
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fine — high quality
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. court — for sport
  23. pit — in a race
  24. tube — in a tire

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