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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. firm — steady
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. court — for sport
  10. wound — an injury
  11. court — of law
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cue — for pool
  15. date — the fruit
  16. chip — to eat
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. firm — a company
  19. pit — a hole
  20. firm — decided
  21. cue — a hint
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pit — in a race

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