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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. net — for catching
  4. mug — a cup
  5. net — in sport
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mug — a face
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mug — to rob
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. net — after costs
  19. bore — to drill
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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