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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. can — a tin
  3. court — of law
  4. hand — in cards
  5. can — to be able to
  6. track — a path
  7. present — there
  8. court — of a king
  9. present — the time now
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. track — a song
  12. cap — a lid
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. can — a tin
  15. hand — help
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cap — of ice
  18. court — for sport
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. present — a gift
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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