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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stand — to bear
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. can — a tin
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. club — for golf
  15. lean — thin
  16. can — a tin
  17. fork — in a road
  18. shower — to wash
  19. court — of law
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. club — a group
  24. shower — rain

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