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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. net — in sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. net — for catching
  11. bank — for money
  12. court — of law
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fall — the season
  17. net — after costs
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fall — to drop
  21. kick — in football
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pit — in a race

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