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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. court — for sport
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bore — to drill
  6. court — of law
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pass — a permit
  12. land — a country
  13. row — a line
  14. court — of a king
  15. bore — to tire
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fine — high quality
  21. row — to paddle
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. row — a quarrel

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