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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. net — after costs
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. net — in sport
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pit — in a race
  10. court — of a king
  11. spring — the season
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. spring — of water
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pit — a hole
  20. spring — a coil
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. object — a thing
  23. court — of law
  24. net — for catching

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