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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pit — in a race
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spring — of water
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. court — of a king
  10. spring — a coil
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. court — of law
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ball — a great time
  18. court — for sport
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pass — a permit

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