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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. cold — not warm
  3. march — the month
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. court — for sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cold — an illness
  10. court — of a king
  11. suit — in cards
  12. court — of law
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. suit — clothes
  18. march — the month
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. march — music
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cold — the Cold War
  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