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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. can — to be able to
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. can — a tin
  6. season — in sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spring — the season
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. court — of a king
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. can — a tin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. season — of the year
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. court — for sport
  24. racket — for tennis

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