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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. charge — a price
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. court — of a king
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. court — for sport
  8. vault — a safe
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. charge — electricity
  12. toast — bread
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. court — of law
  16. date — the fruit
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. charge — in control
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. toast — the most admired

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