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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 120 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. court — of law
  5. track — a path
  6. degree — from a university
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mug — a cup
  11. staff — employees
  12. mug — a face
  13. court — for sport
  14. land — to come down
  15. degree — temperature
  16. land — a country
  17. track — to keep track
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mug — to rob
  21. track — a song
  22. staff — employees
  23. land — ground
  24. chair — to sit on

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