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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. vault — a safe
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. court — for sport
  10. sharp — clever
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. court — of law
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. court — of a king
  23. land — a country
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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