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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 116 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cold — not warm
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. key — the most important part
  9. can — to be able to
  10. key — in music
  11. stand — to bear
  12. court — of a king
  13. spell — magic
  14. can — a tin
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. can — a tin
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. key — for a lock
  23. spell — letters
  24. cold — the Cold War

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