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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 116 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. court — of a king
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. court — for sport
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bear — the animal
  8. court — of law
  9. race — a contest
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. race — humankind
  13. chair — a leader
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. race — the arms race
  22. hand — help
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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