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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. suit — clothes
  6. net — after costs
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. net — for catching
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. net — in sport
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wave — with your hand

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