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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. net — after costs
  6. mug — a face
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mine — for digging
  9. net — for catching
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. band — a ring
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. band — a music group
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. net — in sport
  18. mark — to pay attention

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