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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · leaves · court · ground · racket · fan · chair · track

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chair — a leader
  9. track — a song
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. court — of a king
  12. track — a path
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. court — of law
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ground — crushed
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ground — a position
  20. court — for sport
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. track — to keep track
  24. racket — a loud noise

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