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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. object — to protest
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. kid — to tease
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. object — a thing
  13. stand — to bear
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. object — an aim
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. kid — child
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pitch — completely
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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