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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ground — a position
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. firm — a company
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. ball — a great time
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. ball — a dance

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