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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cold — an illness
  3. track — a song
  4. bound — tied together
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bound — certain
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cold — not warm
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cue — a hint
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cue — a signal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. track — a path
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bay — a horse colour

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