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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. game — a match
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pop — music
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bass — low music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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