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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pitch — completely
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rash — hasty
  14. spell — letters
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. spell — magic
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. cue — for pool
  24. coach — a trainer

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