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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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 — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. shower — rain
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rest — a break
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. net — after costs
  22. court — of a king
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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