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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. court — of law
  6. capital — money
  7. can — a tin
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bound — certain
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. game — wild animals
  16. capital — a city
  17. cap — of ice
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. court — of a king
  20. can — a tin
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bound — tied together
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cap — a hat

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