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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. court — of a king
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. court — for sport
  11. kick — in football
  12. court — of law
  13. mate — to breed
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mate — a friend
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mouse — the animal

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