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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. scale — size or range
  5. season — of the year
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. hand — in cards
  8. band — a music group
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. scale — in music
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bear — the animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. season — in sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hand — help
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bay — a horse colour

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