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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. land — to come down
  5. row — to paddle
  6. land — a country
  7. hand — help
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. content — the amount
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. land — ground
  23. row — a line
  24. bowl — a dish

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