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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 116 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. ball — a great time
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. pop — to visit
  7. staff — employees
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. court — for sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — music
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pop — soda

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