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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rule — government
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rule — a law
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pitch — completely
  22. ball — a great time
  23. racket — for tennis
  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