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

Word bank: object · bay · march · cold · toast · mug · court · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. court — of a king
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. march — music
  6. mug — a face
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. march — the month
  12. cold — an illness
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. court — of law
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mug — a cup
  19. march — the month
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. court — for sport
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. object — a thing
  24. toast — bread

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