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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. net — in sport
  3. court — for sport
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. row — to paddle
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. court — of law
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. season — of the year
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. net — after costs
  15. saw — the tool
  16. net — for catching
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ball — a dance
  19. kid — child
  20. season — in sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. row — a line
  23. kid — to tease
  24. ball — a great time

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