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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rule — government
  3. court — for sport
  4. row — a line
  5. net — for catching
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. court — of law
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. court — of a king
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pound — a weight
  20. rule — a law
  21. net — after costs
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hide — animal skin

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