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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. band — a music group
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. court — for sport
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. court — of a king
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wake — a trail
  21. suit — in cards
  22. court — of law
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. band — a ring

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