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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. object — an aim
  4. present — there
  5. foot — a measure
  6. chest — a box
  7. drill — the tool
  8. court — for sport
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. drill — army training
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. present — the time now
  15. net — after costs
  16. drill — a practice
  17. net — for catching
  18. chest — of your body
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. present — a gift
  24. net — in 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