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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. squash — to crush
  3. court — of a king
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. court — for sport
  7. charge — in control
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. spring — the season
  10. pass — a permit
  11. charge — a price
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. charge — electricity
  14. face — part of the head
  15. spring — of water
  16. court — of law
  17. squash — the sport
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pit — in a race
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spring — a coil
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — to confront
  24. pit — a hole

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