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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rash — hasty
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — a container
  9. pit — a hole
  10. court — of a king
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rash — a series
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. court — for sport
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mark — to pay attention

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