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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · bay · swing · court · field · fine · squash · fan

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fine — all right
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pit — in a race
  11. court — of law
  12. field — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. squash — to crush
  16. court — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pit — a hole
  22. swing — in golf
  23. squash — the sport
  24. fan — to cool the air

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