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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. march — the month
  3. suit — in cards
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. court — of a king
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cold — an illness
  11. march — the month
  12. court — of law
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tear — to rip
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. march — music
  23. cold — not warm
  24. tear — from crying

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