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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. court — of law
  3. deal — to handle
  4. object — a thing
  5. court — of a king
  6. pop — to visit
  7. object — an aim
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pop — music
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. clip — a video
  17. object — to protest
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. clip — to cut
  21. kick — in football
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pop — soda
  24. court — for sport

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