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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. file — a tool
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pit — a hole
  6. file — a line of people
  7. hand — help
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — to come down
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. hand — in cards
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. court — of a king
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pit — in a race
  19. court — for sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. land — a country
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. land — ground
  24. file — a document

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