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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. court — of law
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rock — music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mine — for digging
  21. chip — for betting
  22. court — for sport
  23. mate — to breed
  24. court — of a king

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