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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. ball — a dance
  3. suit — clothes
  4. court — of law
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stock — shares
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pit — a hole
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. chest — a box
  17. lean — thin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. ball — a great time
  21. court — for sport
  22. stock — goods
  23. court — of a king
  24. ball — a round shape

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