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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mug — a face
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mug — a cup
  14. shower — rain
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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