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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cold — not warm
  6. kick — in football
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. charge — in control
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. present — the time now
  15. cold — an illness
  16. charge — a price
  17. present — a gift
  18. bound — obliged
  19. charge — electricity
  20. present — there
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bound — certain
  24. racket — for tennis

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