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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rash — a series
  3. court — of a king
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rash — hasty
  21. clip — to cut
  22. foot — a measure
  23. clip — a video
  24. craft — boats

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