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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. saw — the tool
  7. court — of law
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. tube — a container
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. court — for sport
  23. tube — the underground
  24. court — of a king

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