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

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. court — of law
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rock — music
  5. capital — money
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. court — for sport
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. capital — a city
  19. lie — to recline
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. court — of a king
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lie — an untruth

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