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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — of law
  6. pit — a hole
  7. court — of a king
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. can — a tin
  12. stand — to bear
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. squash — the sport
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. can — a tin
  18. pit — in a race
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. can — to be able 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