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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. court — for sport
  3. capital — money
  4. court — of a king
  5. cold — not warm
  6. swing — music
  7. object — a thing
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. court — of law
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wound — an injury
  17. swing — in golf
  18. object — an aim
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. capital — a city
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bay — a horse colour

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