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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bound — tied together
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. file — a tool
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rock — music
  14. bound — certain
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. dip — to sink
  20. file — a document
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. vault — a safe
  24. file — a line of people

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