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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pass — a permit
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chip — for betting
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rest — a break
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. deal — to handle
  24. chip — in a computer

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