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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fine — high quality
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. ground — the earth
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. chip — for betting
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fine — all right

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