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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 120 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: pit · fork · stick · rest · bay · court · face · cell

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rest — a break
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. face — to confront
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cell — in biology

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