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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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. kick — in football
  3. row — to paddle
  4. court — for sport
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pop — music
  8. net — after costs
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pop — soda
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. can — a tin
  14. net — for catching
  15. court — of a king
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pop — to visit
  18. row — a line
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. net — in sport
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. court — of law
  24. can — a tin

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