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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. court — for sport
  4. club — for golf
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pit — in a race
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. clip — for paper
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. clip — to cut
  15. club — a group
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. court — of a king
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. court — of law
  21. clip — a video
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fan — a supporter

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