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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — in a race
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. court — for sport
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. cell — a phone
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. court — of a king
  24. pit — a hole

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