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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. court — of law
  3. track — to keep track
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. track — a path
  6. court — of a king
  7. fork — in a road
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. squash — to crush
  10. stand — to bear
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. court — for sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pit — in a race
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. track — a song
  23. pit — a hole
  24. squash — the sport

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