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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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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: racket · pit · spell · court · chip · pass · bore · field

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pit — in a race
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. court — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — for betting
  11. court — of law
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. field — for sport
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spell — magic
  23. bore — to drill
  24. field — farmland

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