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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.

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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: cabinet · cell · land · court · game · bear · pass · bay

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. land — ground
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. land — a country
  14. game — a match
  15. land — to come down
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. court — of a king
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. court — of law
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cell — a phone

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