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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. shower — rain
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. club — a group
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rash — a series
  17. fork — in a road
  18. club — for golf
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rash — hasty
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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