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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. court — for sport
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. court — of law
  7. track — a song
  8. present — there
  9. staff — a stick
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. staff — employees
  13. chip — to eat
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wind — moving air
  16. staff — employees
  17. track — a path
  18. court — of a king
  19. chip — for betting
  20. present — the time now
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. track — to keep track
  24. present — a gift

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