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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. court — of law
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cap — a lid
  7. capital — money
  8. rock — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cap — a hat
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. court — for sport
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rock — a stone
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. capital — a city
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. coach — a trainer
  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