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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. content — the amount
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. kid — child
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mate — a friend
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. content — happy

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