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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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. dip — to sink
  8. season — in sport
  9. pound — a weight
  10. season — of the year
  11. row — a line
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mate — to breed
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. season — to add flavour

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