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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. present — the time now
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. present — there
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. file — a document
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. file — a tool
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. present — a gift
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. file — a line of people
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. cold — an illness

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