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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. wind — moving air
  5. charge — in control
  6. shower — rain
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rest — what's left
  9. court — for sport
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. shower — to wash
  12. wind — moving air
  13. charge — a price
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pit — a hole
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bowl — to roll

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