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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. squash — to crush
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. field — for sport
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. vault — a safe

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