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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. court — of a king
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pit — in a race
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cell — in biology
  15. snap — to click
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cell — a phone
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. court — for sport

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