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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · court · wound · pit · racket · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. court — for sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fine — high quality
  8. court — of a king
  9. scale — in music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. court — of law
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fine — all right
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pit — a fruit stone

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