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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pound — a weight
  6. drill — army training
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. chip — to eat
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mug — a face
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chip — for betting
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mug — a cup

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