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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. land — to come down
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. game — a match
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pitch — completely
  15. land — a country
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. game — wild animals
  18. land — ground
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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