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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. firm — decided
  7. object — to protest
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. kid — to tease
  16. firm — steady
  17. kid — child
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bat — the animal
  24. court — for sport

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