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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. court — of law
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. court — of a king
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. craft — boats
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fine — all right
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pit — in a race
  23. court — for sport
  24. craft — a skill

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