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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mug — to rob
  13. object — a thing
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. object — an aim
  16. game — wild animals
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — a face
  23. object — to protest
  24. mate — to breed

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