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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.

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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: deal · mug · fine · coach · pit · court · bore · wind

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. court — of law
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mug — a cup
  9. court — of a king
  10. fine — all right
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mug — a face
  14. bore — to tire
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pit — a hole
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pit — in a race

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