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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. game — a match
  5. rash — hasty
  6. key — for a lock
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. key — the most important part
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. key — in music
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. game — wild animals
  18. suit — clothes
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rash — a series
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. roll — a list

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