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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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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: snap · court · spell · fine · rush · game · pit · stand

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. court — of a king
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. snap — to click
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. game — wild animals
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pit — in a race
  12. court — of law
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spell — magic
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pit — a hole
  20. court — for sport
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. spell — letters
  24. game — a match

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