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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. cap — of ice
  3. root — of a word
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. game — wild animals
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. game — a match
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. root — the cause
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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