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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rest · court · game · bear · pit · season · cue · spring

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. season — of the year
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. spring — a coil
  5. court — of law
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spring — of water
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. court — for sport
  12. season — in sport
  13. game — a match
  14. spring — the season
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pit — a hole
  19. court — of a king
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rest — a break
  24. cue — a hint

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