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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bank — of a river
  6. present — there
  7. game — a match
  8. tube — the underground
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. court — of a king
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. present — the time now
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. game — wild animals
  24. present — a gift

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