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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · sharp · court · bass · mate · cabinet · bear · bay

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. track — to keep track
  5. court — for sport
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mate — a friend
  8. court — of law
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mate — a partner
  13. court — of a king
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bear — the animal
  16. track — a song
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bass — low music
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bear — to put up with

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