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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. court — for sport
  11. present — there
  12. object — an aim
  13. rest — what's left
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. object — to protest
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mine — belonging to me

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