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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: rule · pit · wax · tear · craft · court · lash · pitcher

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tear — from crying
  7. court — of a king
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rule — government
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. court — of law
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rule — a law
  24. craft — boats

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