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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. hand — help
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. court — of law
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. hand — in cards
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. shower — rain
  23. court — for sport
  24. chip — to eat

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