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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. court — of a king
  3. land — ground
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. row — a line
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bound — certain
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. fine — all right
  14. court — of law
  15. charge — a price
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. court — for sport
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bound — tied together

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