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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. court — of a king
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. drill — army training
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. court — for sport
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. court — of law
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pitch — a sports field

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