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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pit — a hole
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rush — hurry
  5. court — of law
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bank — for money
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rest — what's left
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. court — of a king
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bank — for money
  18. squash — the sport
  19. court — for sport
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. shower — rain
  24. rest — what's left

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