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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. net — in sport
  6. suit — in cards
  7. court — for sport
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. net — for catching
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. court — of law
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. snap — to click
  18. suit — to fit
  19. season — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. season — of the year
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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