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

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mug — a face
  5. net — in sport
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. net — for catching
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. net — after costs
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mug — a cup
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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