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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. shower — to wash
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wind — moving air
  6. court — of a king
  7. tube — a container
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rest — a break
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. tube — the underground
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. stand — to bear

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