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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. clip — a video
  3. court — of law
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. clip — for paper
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ball — a dance
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rush — hurry
  20. firm — decided
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ball — a great time
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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