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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mug — a cup
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. spell — letters
  7. object — a thing
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. swing — music
  12. object — to protest
  13. spell — magic
  14. root — of a plant
  15. spell — a short time
  16. root — of a word
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mug — a face
  20. object — an aim
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. root — the cause
  24. squash — the sport

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