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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. hand — help
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pit — a hole
  7. firm — steady
  8. court — of law
  9. lie — to recline
  10. firm — decided
  11. can — a tin
  12. pit — in a race
  13. staff — employees
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. can — a tin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. firm — a company
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. court — of a king
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. staff — employees

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