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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 120 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.

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: fork · present · mug · bay · court · pop · last · can

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. can — a tin
  3. pop — music
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mug — a cup
  6. present — a gift
  7. mug — a face
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pop — soda
  11. can — a tin
  12. last — final
  13. court — of a king
  14. mug — to rob
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. present — the time now
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pop — to visit
  24. can — to be able to

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