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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. suit — in cards
  7. drill — army training
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. game — a match
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. drill — a practice
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. game — wild animals
  24. suit — clothes

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