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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. court — for sport
  3. chip — for betting
  4. saw — the tool
  5. court — of a king
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stem — to come from
  8. saw — the tool
  9. court — of law
  10. lean — to bend
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. craft — boats
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. game — a match
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pit — a hole
  23. game — wild animals
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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