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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mine — for digging
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. game — a match
  8. capital — a city
  9. bound — certain
  10. capital — money
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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