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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. band — a ring
  4. land — ground
  5. mug — a cup
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. court — of law
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. court — of a king
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mug — a face
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. band — a music group
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. land — to come down
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. land — a country
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cell — a phone

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