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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 124 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. court — for sport
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pit — in a race
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. cap — a hat
  14. court — of a king
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pit — a hole
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. court — of law
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ground — a position
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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