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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. game — a match
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. season — of the year
  7. last — finally
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. game — wild animals
  13. last — to go on
  14. season — in sport
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. staff — a stick
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. staff — employees
  22. last — final
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. game — a kind of play

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