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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Let us try to swim against 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. drill — army training
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. court — of law
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. current — happening now
  11. lean — thin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lean — to bend
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. court — for sport
  19. current — electric
  20. game — a match
  21. can — a tin
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. current — of water
  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