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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. court — for sport
  5. pop — soda
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. court — of law
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. march — music
  13. pop — music
  14. march — the month
  15. foot — a measure
  16. chest — of your body
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chest — a box
  23. march — the month
  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