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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. land — ground
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. land — a country
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bank — for money
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. land — to come down
  18. dip — to sink

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