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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. game — a match
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. track — a path
  7. ground — crushed
  8. shower — to wash
  9. dip — to sink
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. game — wild animals
  13. shower — rain
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. track — to keep track
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. dip — a sauce

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