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

Word bank: rock · kick · bay · mark · object · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. object — an aim
  8. mark — a trace
  9. object — to protest
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rock — music
  13. kick — in football
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. object — a thing

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