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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. object — to protest
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mate — a partner
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. object — a thing
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. court — of a king
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. ball — a dance
  17. court — of law
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wax — to grow
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wake — a trail
  24. object — an aim

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