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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. press — newspapers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rest — a break
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. press — a publisher
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bass — low music
  23. drill — army training
  24. press — to push

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