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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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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 · rest · court · pit · lie · bat · pop · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. court — of a king
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pop — to visit
  5. court — of law
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. court — for sport
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pop — music
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rest — a break
  21. pop — soda
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. deal — a big deal

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