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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. court — for sport
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — child
  5. court — of law
  6. wake — a trail
  7. kid — to tease
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. court — of a king
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pit — a hole
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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