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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mug — to rob
  4. date — the fruit
  5. club — for dancing
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mug — a cup
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. club — a group
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mug — a face
  15. chair — a leader
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. club — for golf
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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