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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. spell — letters
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — magic
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. spell — a short time
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pop — music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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