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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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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: bay · saw · stick · kid · stand · court · fan · bore

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stand — to bear
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — for sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bore — to drill
  18. kid — child
  19. court — of law
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. court — of a king
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fan — a supporter

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