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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. court — of law
  4. last — finally
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. firm — a company
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. cap — a hat
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cap — of ice
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cap — a lid

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