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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bank — for money
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bank — for money
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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