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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. object — to protest
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. club — for dancing
  6. object — a thing
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. object — an aim
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. club — a group
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. court — for sport
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. court — of law
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. club — for golf
  22. court — of a king
  23. rock — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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