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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. key — in music
  3. court — for sport
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. ground — a position
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. race — the arms race
  10. ground — the earth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. band — a music group
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. race — humankind
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. court — of law
  20. band — a ring
  21. race — a contest
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — an untruth

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