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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. court — of law
  3. charge — in control
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. court — for sport
  15. file — a line of people
  16. row — to paddle
  17. file — a tool
  18. charge — a price
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cap — a lid
  21. court — of a king
  22. file — a document
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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