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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. swing — in golf
  7. net — after costs
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. swing — music
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mate — a partner
  14. net — for catching
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mate — a friend
  17. net — in sport
  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