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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. swing — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. craft — boats
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. court — of law
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cap — a lid
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cap — of ice
  22. court — of a king
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fan — a supporter

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