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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. object — an aim
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. object — a thing
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ground — the earth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. object — to protest

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