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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. land — to come down
  5. firm — steady
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. land — a country
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. land — ground
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cap — a lid
  21. firm — a company
  22. court — of law
  23. cap — of ice
  24. firm — decided

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