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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. court — of law
  3. ball — a great time
  4. roll — a list
  5. court — for sport
  6. tear — from crying
  7. saw — the tool
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. ball — a dance
  10. tear — from crying
  11. firm — a company
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. court — of a king
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. firm — steady
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. saw — the tool
  23. firm — decided
  24. coach — a trainer

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