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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. last — final
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. court — for sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. last — to go on
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bank — for money
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bank — for money

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