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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. track — a song
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fine — all right
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. track — a path
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. track — to keep track
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. kick — in football

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