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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: deal · stick · court · pit · rush · cell · toast · key

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. key — in music
  8. court — of a king
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. toast — bread
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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