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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 is in your ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. court — of law
  5. club — for golf
  6. shower — rain
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. court — of a king
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. band — a ring
  16. shower — to wash
  17. band — a music group
  18. club — a group
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. club — for dancing
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lash — an eyelash

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