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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spring — the season
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. spring — a coil
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. court — of law
  12. spring — of water
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitch — completely
  24. plane — a 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