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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lean — thin
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lean — to bend
  8. shower — to wash
  9. court — for sport
  10. pit — in a race
  11. court — of law
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. charge — in control
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. face — part of the head
  17. charge — a price
  18. shower — rain
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. lean — to rest against

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