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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. court — of a king
  4. plane — a tool
  5. track — to keep track
  6. swing — in golf
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. track — a song
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. swing — music
  22. track — a path
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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