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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. club — for golf
  3. deal — to handle
  4. land — ground
  5. craft — boats
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. land — to come down
  12. court — for sport
  13. land — a country
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. club — for dancing
  18. court — of a king
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. club — a group
  22. court — of law
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bore — to drill

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