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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bank — of a river
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. present — the time now
  9. pit — a hole
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. roll — a list
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. present — a gift
  15. bear — the animal
  16. court — of law
  17. bear — the animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. bank — for money
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bank — for money
  23. snap — to click
  24. present — there

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