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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. toast — bread
  9. court — of law
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mine — for digging
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pitch — completely

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