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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. capital — a city
  10. tube — the underground
  11. capital — money
  12. tube — a container
  13. court — of a king
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fine — high quality
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fine — all right
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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