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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. season — in sport
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rock — music
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. club — for golf
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rock — a stone
  12. kick — in football
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. club — a group
  23. wake — a trail
  24. season — of the year

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