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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.

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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: snap · fork · stand · band · court · pop · pit · jam

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. court — of a king
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. court — of law
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. band — a music group
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pop — soda
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. band — a ring
  16. pop — music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stand — to bear
  21. court — for sport
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pit — a hole
  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