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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. chair — a leader
  5. suit — to fit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. game — a match
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. tear — to rip
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pitch — completely
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rash — a series

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