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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. band — a ring
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. craft — boats
  10. ball — a dance
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ground — the earth
  20. band — a music group
  21. ground — a position
  22. ball — a great time
  23. craft — a skill
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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