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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. object — a thing
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pitch — completely
  5. band — a ring
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. can — a tin
  8. band — a music group
  9. spell — a short time
  10. object — an aim
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. object — to protest
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. can — a tin
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. spell — letters
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. spell — magic
  24. band — a rubber band

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