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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. chip — to eat
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. prune — to trim
  20. net — for catching
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. net — after costs
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. net — in sport

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