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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. court — of law
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. kid — to tease
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. degree — from a university
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. degree — temperature
  11. court — of a king
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rule — a law
  15. degree — an amount
  16. kid — child
  17. cap — of ice
  18. court — for sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rule — government
  21. cap — a hat
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cap — a lid
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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