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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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. bank — for money
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bank — of a river
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bank — for money
  10. scale — in music
  11. court — of a king
  12. scale — size or range
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bore — to tire
  19. foot — a measure
  20. court — of law
  21. key — in music
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. foot — the bottom

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