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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. face — part of the head
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mate — a friend
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. content — the amount
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. content — happy
  24. foot — a measure

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