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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. court — of a king
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mug — a face
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. tube — a container
  12. mug — a cup
  13. court — for sport
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wound — an injury
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. season — in sport
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. court — of law

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