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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. pound — a weight
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. swing — in golf
  9. court — of a king
  10. swing — to play on
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. key — for a lock
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. key — in music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. swing — music
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. hand — help

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