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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 preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. court — for sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — of law
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. court — of a king
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bay — a horse colour

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