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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.

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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pass — a permit
  5. court — for sport
  6. pit — in a race
  7. ground — a position
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bank — for money
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bank — for money
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bank — of a river
  21. court — of law
  22. drill — army training
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. drill — the tool

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