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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fall — the season
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fall — to drop
  6. content — happy
  7. season — in sport
  8. court — for sport
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hand — help
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. march — the month
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fall — to drop
  16. court — of law
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. content — the amount
  19. march — music
  20. season — of the year
  21. court — of a king
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bay — a horse colour

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