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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. court — for sport
  4. net — in sport
  5. wind — moving air
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. court — of a king
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. court — of law
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wax — for sculpting

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