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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. court — of law
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. season — in sport
  6. present — there
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. key — in music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pit — in a race
  12. court — of a king
  13. wake — a trail
  14. present — the time now
  15. key — for a lock
  16. present — a gift
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. court — for sport
  24. season — of the year

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