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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 124 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. court — of law
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. toast — bread
  5. drill — the tool
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. scale — size or range
  8. track — a song
  9. court — for sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. court — of a king
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. track — to keep track
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. scale — in music
  20. drill — army training
  21. track — a path
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. scale — for weighing

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