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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 ball is in your ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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. court — for sport
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mark — a trace
  5. can — a tin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ground — a position
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. scale — in music
  10. court — of a king
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. charge — electricity
  16. court — of law
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ground — the earth
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. ground — crushed

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