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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.

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: ball · court · firm · pit · bear · lie · game · fine

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. firm — decided
  6. court — for sport
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pit — a hole
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. court — of a king
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ball — a dance
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pit — in a race
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. firm — a company
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. court — of law
  23. firm — steady
  24. bear — to put up with

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