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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. chair — a leader
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bound — certain
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. net — after costs
  13. ball — a dance
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. net — in sport
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. net — for catching
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cold — not warm

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