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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. press — to push
  7. track — a song
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rash — a series
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. track — a path
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bank — of a river
  22. press — a publisher
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bank — for money

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