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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cell — in biology
  3. court — for sport
  4. mug — to rob
  5. game — a match
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. court — of a king
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mug — a cup
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mug — a face
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. net — after costs
  16. game — wild animals
  17. net — in sport
  18. perch — the fish
  19. net — for catching
  20. cell — a phone
  21. court — of law
  22. craft — boats
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. craft — a handicraft

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