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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: pit · pass · fan · wind · suit · court · branch · foot

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. court — of law
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. branch — a division
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pass — a permit
  13. foot — a measure
  14. suit — in cards
  15. court — for sport
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pass — to succeed

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