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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mug — to rob
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mug — a face
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. court — of a king
  12. current — of water
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. court — for sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. court — of law
  19. branch — a division
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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