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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cap — a hat
  3. season — of the year
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cap — of ice
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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