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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. game — a match
  8. ground — crushed
  9. court — of a king
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. key — the most important part
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. ground — the earth
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. ground — a position
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. key — for a lock
  22. perch — the fish
  23. key — in music
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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