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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. squash — the sport
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. chest — of your body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. toast — bread
  10. season — in sport
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. squash — to crush
  21. content — happy
  22. chest — a box
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. season — of the year

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