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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. court — of a king
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. ground — a position
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. court — for sport
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. land — to come down
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bear — the animal
  15. land — a country
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bear — the animal
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — ground
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. court — of law

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