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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. court — for sport
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bore — to drill
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. game — a match
  18. fall — to drop
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ground — a position
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. object — an aim
  24. court — of a king

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