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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. ground — crushed
  6. saw — the tool
  7. present — the time now
  8. mark — a grade
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ground — the earth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ground — a position
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cue — a hint
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. present — there
  21. cue — for pool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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