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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. press — a publisher
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. content — happy
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. press — to push
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. content — the amount
  24. bowl — to roll

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