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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 124 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. club — a group
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. scale — in music
  10. court — of a king
  11. club — for golf
  12. wound — an injury
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. club — for dancing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. court — of law
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. court — for sport
  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