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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. object — an aim
  3. cell — a phone
  4. court — for sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. drill — army training
  7. wound — an injury
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. object — to protest
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. drill — the tool
  21. court — of a king
  22. object — a thing
  23. court — of law
  24. tube — a container

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