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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: court · racket · jam · wind · fine · dip · pit · key

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. court — of a king
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. key — the most important part
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wind — moving air
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fine — all right
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. court — of law
  17. key — in music
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fine — high quality
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. court — for sport
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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