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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. court — of a king
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cap — a lid
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cap — a hat
  10. club — for golf
  11. bore — to tire
  12. net — for catching
  13. court — of law
  14. club — a group
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. court — for sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. chair — a leader
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bore — to drill

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