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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. court — of a king
  4. firm — decided
  5. court — for sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. board — to get on
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. saw — the tool
  14. kick — in football
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. press — newspapers
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. press — to push
  20. court — of law
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. nail — for a hammer

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