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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: court · file · bass · cap · jam · rash · bay · mate

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rash — a series
  11. file — a document
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bass — low music
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. court — for sport
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. file — a line of people
  22. court — of law
  23. file — a tool
  24. jam — in traffic

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