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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. court — for sport
  3. track — to keep track
  4. present — a gift
  5. track — a song
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rule — government
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. present — the time now
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. court — of a king
  17. track — a path
  18. cold — an illness
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. present — there
  23. rule — a law
  24. court — of law

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