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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. court — of a king
  3. mug — a face
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. court — of law
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stock — goods
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. staff — employees
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rock — music
  19. court — for sport
  20. staff — employees
  21. stock — shares
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. clip — to cut

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