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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pop — music
  3. file — a document
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. file — a tool
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wake — a trail
  9. file — a line of people
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pop — to visit
  16. plane — a tool
  17. spell — a short time
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pop — soda
  24. foot — the bottom

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