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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — of a king
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cue — a hint
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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