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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pit — in a race
  4. firm — a company
  5. craft — boats
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. ground — the earth
  8. perch — the fish
  9. firm — steady
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. ground — a position
  13. firm — decided
  14. ground — crushed
  15. track — to keep track
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bore — to drill
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. track — a song
  22. craft — a skill
  23. track — a path
  24. perch — for a bird

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