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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. present — the time now
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. court — of law
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — a gift
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. present — there
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fork — in a road
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. court — of a king
  24. suit — to fit

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