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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stand — to bear
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. present — there
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. track — a path
  13. swing — in golf
  14. present — a gift
  15. swing — to play on
  16. track — a song
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. swing — music
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. tear — from crying
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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