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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. kid — child
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. season — in sport
  5. spring — the season
  6. track — a song
  7. spring — of water
  8. charge — in control
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. kid — to tease
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. court — of a king
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. track — a path
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. charge — a price
  19. spring — a coil
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. charge — electricity
  22. foot — a measure
  23. court — for sport
  24. season — of the year

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