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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pit — in a race
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. game — wild animals
  24. hide — to keep secret

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