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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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. pitch — completely
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. hand — help
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. ball — a great time
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pitch — a sports field

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