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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. toast — bread
  3. scale — in music
  4. court — of a king
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chest — a box
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. court — for sport
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. scale — size or range
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chest — of your body
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. date — the fruit
  18. stand — to bear
  19. chest — of your body
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. court — of law
  24. hide — to keep secret

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