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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. toast — bread
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. land — a country
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. land — ground
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. land — to come down
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. plane — in geometry

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