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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cue — for pool
  4. net — for catching
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. key — the most important part
  9. can — to be able to
  10. face — to confront
  11. key — in music
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. face — to point toward
  22. can — a tin
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. key — for a lock

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