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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. firm — a company
  3. court — of a king
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. firm — steady
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pit — a hole
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pit — in a race
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rash — a series
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. firm — decided
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. court — of law
  24. pitcher — a jug

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