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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.

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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. file — a document
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. firm — decided
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bank — for money
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bank — for money
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. last — finally
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pitch — completely
  14. firm — a company
  15. file — a tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. file — a line of people
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. firm — steady

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