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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. band — a music group
  6. pit — a hole
  7. court — of law
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. band — a ring
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. hand — help
  22. court — of a king
  23. hand — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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