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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bass — low music
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bass — the fish
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. craft — boats
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. saw — the tool

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