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

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. toast — bread
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cell — a phone
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. season — in sport
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bark — to shout
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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