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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. game — a match
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stand — to bear
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mark — a grade
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. fork — in a road
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mark — a trace
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. racket — for tennis

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