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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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. key — in music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. mug — a cup
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. key — the most important part
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — for a lock
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fork — a garden tool

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