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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. court — of a king
  4. pitch — completely
  5. snap — to click
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. tear — to rip
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. current — electric
  15. pit — a hole
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pit — in a race
  19. tear — from crying
  20. court — for sport
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mark — a grade
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. tear — from crying

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