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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · leaves · bay · court · arm · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. court — of a king
  8. fine — all right
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. court — for sport
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mine — for digging
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. court — of law
  18. fine — a penalty

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