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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wind — moving air
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. court — of law
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rock — a stone
  13. game — a match
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. saw — the tool
  18. court — for sport
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rock — music
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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