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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bound — certain
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bound — obliged
  10. suit — in cards
  11. court — for sport
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. court — of law
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pit — in a race
  17. chest — a box
  18. staff — a stick
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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