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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: court · pit · stand · nail · bowl · date · stick · straw

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. court — of a king
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pit — a hole
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. date — the fruit
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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