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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pit — in a race
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rash — a series
  7. pitch — completely
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bass — low music
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rash — hasty
  20. court — of law
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. court — of a king
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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