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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 120 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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. court — of a king
  4. net — in sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. race — humankind
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. court — of law
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — for catching
  18. game — wild animals
  19. race — a contest
  20. court — for sport
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. net — after costs
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. race — the arms race

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