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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 124 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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 round shape
  3. spell — letters
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pit — a hole
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. present — the time now
  10. court — of law
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. present — a gift
  13. spell — magic
  14. court — for sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. can — a tin
  17. spell — a short time
  18. can — to be able to
  19. court — of a king
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. can — a tin
  23. present — there
  24. ball — a great time

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