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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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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: wave · court · bear · ground · mark · pit · scale · rock

  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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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. rock — a stone
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ground — a position
  7. court — for sport
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rock — music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. court — of law
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. scale — in music

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