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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. club — for golf
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ground — a position
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. club — a group
  13. ground — the earth
  14. band — a ring
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ground — crushed
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. band — a music group
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. can — a tin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — a grade

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