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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. capital — money
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mine — for digging
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. capital — a city
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. capital — a big letter

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