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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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. file — a line of people
  3. swing — to play on
  4. file — a document
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. charge — in control
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. charge — a price
  11. court — of a king
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. swing — in golf
  15. court — for sport
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. swing — music
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. court — of law
  24. file — a tool

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