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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. court — of law
  3. scale — in music
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. scale — size or range
  7. saw — the tool
  8. march — the month
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mug — a face
  12. march — the month
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. court — for sport
  18. mine — for digging
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. march — music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mug — to rob
  24. court — of a king

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