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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rush — hurry
  5. spell — magic
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bass — low music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. court — of a king
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. suit — to fit
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. court — for sport
  17. deal — to handle
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spell — letters
  21. court — of law
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pit — a hole
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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